How to use Google’s new AI agents to go beyond your standard searches

Key points

• At the Google I/O 2026 keynote, the tech giant revealed new agentic capabilities in Search, where users can create, customize, and manage multiple AI agents to stay updated on topics of interest.
• The announcement is part of Google’s larger push toward agentic AI systems that can take initiative and assist with ongoing tasks instead of answering one question at a time.
• Unlike traditional search tools that respond only when prompted, Google’s information agents are designed to operate continuously in the background, 24/7, helping users stay informed about their interests without needing to repeatedly search for the same information every day.
• Instead of delivering a list of links, the agents can synthesize information from multiple sources, explain why something matters, compare perspectives, and provide actionable insights.
• In many ways, the agents represent the next evolution of Google Alerts, the notification service Google launched in 2003. However, these agents are designed to...