Google debuts Gemini Spark assistant powered by Gemini 3.5 at I/O

Google used its May 19 I/O keynote to unveil Gemini Spark, a new assistant the company says is built to take on long-running tasks rather than answer one prompt at a time. Sundar Pichai said Spark is powered by Gemini 3.5 and the Google Antigravity system, placing it alongside a broader set of “agentic” product updates announced at the conference. Google said Spark will work through the Gemini app first, with email and chat support coming later. The company also said Android users will be able to track agent progress through a new interface called Android Halo later this year. ### What, exactly, is Gemini Spark supposed to do? Google described Gemini Spark as a “24/7 personal AI agent” designed to proactively manage tasks under a user’s direction. In the company’s Gemini app announcement, Spark was framed as software that can help people navigate their “digital life” while staying active in the background rather than waiting for a fresh instruction each time. (blog.google) Pichai said in the keynote post that Spark is aimed at “long-horizon tasks.” Google did not present it as a standalone chatbot; it tied the product to a broader push toward assistants that can plan, act and keep working across multiple steps. ### Where will Spark run, and why does that matter? Google said Spark will run on Google Cloud virtual machines, giving it a way to keep operating continuously rather than only when a phone app is open. (blog.google) That detail appeared in outside coverage of the keynote and fits with Google’s description of Spark as always available and proactive. The Gemini app post also said the macOS desktop app will integrate Spark so it can operate on a local machine, alongside new voice features. (blog.google) That means Google is describing two execution models around the same assistant concept: cloud-based background operation and, at least on Mac, local-machine integration. Google did not publish technical limits or pricing for Spark in the materials reviewed. ### How will people actually interact with it? Google said users will be able to work with Spark in the Gemini app and, “soon,” through email and chat. The company did not specify in the keynote post which chat products would get first access, but the language points to expansion beyond the main Gemini interface. Android was given a separate role. Google said a new user interface called Android Halo will show live updates and task progress for agents such as Spark, and that feature is scheduled to arrive later this year. (blog.google) ### How does Gemini 3.5 fit into this launch? Google said Spark is powered by Gemini 3.5, the new model family it introduced at I/O. In a separate post, Google DeepMind executives said Gemini 3.5 is built around “frontier intelligence with action,” language the company used repeatedly to describe agents that can do more than generate text. (blog.google) Google said it is starting the 3.5 rollout with Gemini 3.5 Flash. (blog.google) The company said Flash is available now through the Gemini app and AI Mode in Search, and for developers through Antigravity and the Gemini API. Google also said it is still working on 3.5 Pro. ### What else changed around Search and Google’s agent tools? Google said Search is also getting updates tied to Antigravity and Gemini 3.5 Flash. (blog.google) In its I/O roundup, the company said those changes are intended to produce more agentic responses assembled dynamically. Varun Mohan and Logan Kilpatrick of Google DeepMind wrote in Google’s developer highlights that Gemini 3.5 Flash is meant to be the “high-speed engine” for real-world agentic workflows. (blog.google) That places Spark inside a larger product push spanning Search, developer tools and the Gemini app rather than as a one-off assistant feature. (blog.google) Google said Android Halo is coming later in 2026, and the company said email and chat support for Spark are also still ahead. Gemini 3.5 Flash is available now, while Google said 3.5 Pro remains in development. (blog.google 1) (blog.google 2)