Gemini Spark rolls out to AI Ultra

Google has begun rolling out Gemini Spark to Google AI Ultra subscribers in the United States, expanding an agent feature it first previewed at its I/O developer conference in May. Google’s release notes said on May 19 that Spark would go first to trusted testers and then to U.S. AI Ultra subscribers in beta in the coming weeks. By May 29, 9to5Google reported the feature was live for AI Ultra users in the U.S., and Business Standard reported on June 1 that the rollout had reached subscribers in the country. Google describes Spark as a “24/7 personal AI agent” that works on tasks on a user’s behalf rather than waiting for a prompt-and-response exchange. The feature appears as a separate Spark tab in Gemini on the web and as a dedicated section in the Gemini app on Android and iOS, where Google labels it beta. ### Where does Spark actually show up for users? (gemini.google) On May 29, 9to5Google said the web version of Gemini added a Spark tab in the side panel opposite Chat. On Android and iOS, the same report said Spark appears between Search chats and Daily Brief. Google’s own release notes say users can access it by tapping the Spark tab in the Gemini app menu. (gemini.google) Business Standard reported on June 1 that the feature is currently limited to Google AI Ultra subscribers in the United States. Google’s release notes add two eligibility limits: Spark is in beta and available to users aged 18 and over in the U.S. in the coming weeks from the May 19 announcement. (9to5google.com) ### What can Spark do that regular Gemini chat does not? Google’s release notes say Spark is meant to “help you navigate your digital life” by working on tasks in the background. Business Standard reported that the system is designed to automate tasks across apps and services, and 9to5Google described it as a personal agent that can run multi-step actions rather than just answer questions. (business-standard.com) According to 9to5Google, Spark can use Google Workspace, connected apps, Personal Intelligence, signed-in websites, location data, a remote browser and a remote computer environment with code execution. The publication said those tools let Spark do things such as manage calendars, search Gmail, create documents and spreadsheets, generate slide decks, organize files, navigate websites and interact with pages, including adding items to a cart. (gemini.google) Business Standard separately reported the same remote browser and remote computer setup. ### How is Spark organized inside Gemini? 9to5Google said Spark is built around three pieces: tasks, schedules and skills. A task is the goal a user wants completed, the report said, while a schedule determines when Spark should run in the background, either at a set time or in response to an event. Skills are reusable instructions and context that tell Spark how to perform a job and which tools to use. (9to5google.com) The same report gave a travel example: planning and managing a business trip to London, then reacting if a flight is delayed by proposing an itinerary update, rebooking a room and drafting a confirmation message. That example reflects Google’s broader pitch that Spark can combine multiple tools in one workflow. ### How far does the automation go in practice? (9to5google.com) The Verge’s AI section surfaced a hands-on verdict that Gemini’s new agent was “about as good as Google’s demo,” and the summary line said Spark was impressive but “not worth the cost just yet.” The user-supplied context for this story said The Verge tested Spark on trip planning and found it could navigate websites but did not complete an Airbnb booking in that sample interaction. (9to5google.com) That suggests Google’s current rollout is arriving with consumer access before the agent consistently finishes every transaction flow. Google has not, in the sources reviewed here, announced a wider public rollout date beyond the U.S. AI Ultra beta. The next concrete milestone remains the ongoing beta distribution described in Google’s May 19 release notes, with access through Gemini for U.S. AI Ultra subscribers aged 18 and over. (gemini.google) (theverge.com)