On 20 May 2025, Google used its I/O conference to put AI Mode at the centre of Search. AI Mode started rolling out to everyone in the US, and Gemini 2.5 was coming to both AI Mode and AI Overviews [1]. For site owners, those two lines mattered most.
This guide covers what Google said about Search, what it said about its Gemini models, and what it means for SEO. Everything here comes from Google’s own recap of the event.
In short
Google said AI Mode was rolling out to all US users, with Gemini 2.5 behind it. It also announced Deep Search, Search Live, agentic features and AI shopping tools, mostly in Search Labs first [1]. Google also said AI Overviews had reached 1.5 billion monthly users in 200 countries and territories [1]. For SEO, the practical advice has not changed: no special files or markup are needed [2].
Read the workflow as text
- A snapshot, not today's status. As Google described it on 21 May 2025. Check Google's current pages.
- 20 May 2025. AI Mode starts rolling out to everyone in the US. People can also opt in through Labs.
- That week. Gemini 2.5 comes to AI Mode and AI Overviews in the US.
- 21 May 2025. Google publishes its recap, "100 things we announced at I/O".
- Early June. The updated Gemini 2.5 Flash reaches developers.
- Summer 2025. Search Live: "coming this summer".
- In Labs first: Deep Search, agentic features, shopping try-on, custom charts.
| Feature | What Google said |
|---|---|
| AI Mode | Starting to roll out to everyone in the US. People can also opt in through Labs for immediate access [1] |
| Gemini 2.5 in Search | Coming to AI Mode and AI Overviews in the US that week [1] |
| Deep Search | Deeper research in AI Mode, in Labs [1] |
| Search Live | Talk back and forth with Search about what your camera sees. “Coming this summer” [1] |
| Agentic features | From Project Mariner, in Labs. First tasks: event tickets, restaurant reservations and local appointments [1] |
| Shopping | A new AI Mode shopping experience built on the Shopping Graph. A virtual try-on for apparel started rolling out to Labs users in the US [1] |
| Custom charts | Coming soon in Labs, starting with sports and finance questions [1] |
Google also said that usage of Google for queries that show AI Overviews was up by over 10% in the US and India [1]. That is Google’s own figure. We cannot check it.
Pick a status. The tool lists the features that Google described that way in its recap of 21 May 2025. It uses only that recap. It does not know what is live today, and it stores nothing. Nothing leaves this page.
What did Google say about its Gemini models?
- Gemini 2.5 Pro got an experimental mode called Deep Think for hard maths and coding problems [1].
- Gemini 2.5 Flash got a new preview with stronger coding and reasoning. Google said the updated version would reach developers in early June [1].
- The Gemini app passed 400 million monthly active users, according to Google [1].
- Gemini Live camera and screen sharing started rolling out to iOS users on 20 May [1].
Note that Gemini 2.0 was not the headline of this event. Gemini 2.5 was. Some early coverage mixed the two up.
Worth knowing: We rewrote this article in November 2026. An earlier version described Gemini 2.0, Android 15 and a list of products that Google’s own recap does not mention. We removed all of it. If you saw those claims elsewhere, check them against Google’s page.
What does it mean for SEO?
Less than the headlines suggested. Google’s guidance for AI features is simple. You do not need new machine-readable files, AI text files or special markup to appear in them [2]. Traffic from AI features is counted in the Web search type in Search Console [2].
So the work stays familiar:
- Keep pages crawlable and indexable. AI features use the same index.
- Write for specific questions. Cover the follow-up questions a reader would ask next, on the same page.
- Watch your Search Console data. It is the only first-party view you get.
- Check your shopping data. The new shopping tools run on the Shopping Graph, so product feeds matter.
Our Google AI Overviews guide covers how those answers pick sources.
From our own site: When we checked this article on 8 November 2026, the earlier version said Gemini 2.0 launched at I/O 2025. It was also dated 5 May 2025, two weeks before the event. We rewrote it from Google’s own recap of the event. On 9 November 2026 we read the article against that recap line by line. Two wordings were stronger than the page: “more than 200 countries and territories” (Google says 200) and the shopping try-on “rolled out” (Google says it was rolling out, for apparel). We corrected both. The event date of 20 May is inferred. The recap, dated 21 May, says the event was “yesterday”, and a footnote dates the iOS rollout to 20 May.
Which numbers can you check?
Google’s recap gave several figures. They are Google’s own, and we cannot check any of them [1]. Treat them as claims.
| Figure | Who says it | Can we check it? |
|---|---|---|
| AI Overviews reached 1.5 billion monthly users, in 200 countries and territories | No | |
| Usage up by over 10% for queries that show AI Overviews, in the US and India | No | |
| The Gemini app has over 400 million monthly active users | No |
We quote them so you know what Google claimed. We do not use them to make a case.
How do you check what is live now?
This article is a snapshot of May 2025. Work in this order.
- Open Google’s page for site owners, AI features and your website. It says there are no additional requirements to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode, and that traffic from them is counted in the Web search type in Search Console [2].
- Check Google’s current Search pages and Labs for each feature you care about. Do not rely on a 2025 article, including this one.
- Check your own Search Console data for the Web search type.
Frequently asked questions
When was Google I/O 2025?
Google’s recap, published on 21 May 2025, says the event was the day before, which makes it 20 May 2025.
Did Google launch Gemini 2.0 at I/O 2025?
No. The headline model at I/O 2025 was Gemini 2.5. Google said Gemini 2.5 was coming to AI Mode and AI Overviews in the US that week.
Is AI Mode available to everyone?
At the event, Google said it was starting to roll out to everyone in the US. Check Google’s current pages for where it is available now.
Do I need special markup for AI Mode?
No. Google says you do not need new files, AI text files or special structured data to appear in its AI features.
How big are AI Overviews?
Google said they reached 1.5 billion monthly users in 200 countries and territories. This is Google’s own figure.
What was still in Labs after I/O 2025?
In Google’s 21 May 2025 recap, Deep Search, the agentic features, the shopping try-on and custom charts were in Labs or coming to Labs. Check Google’s current pages for what is available now.
How do I know the event date?
Google’s recap is dated 21 May 2025 and says the event was the day before. A footnote dates the iOS rollout of Gemini Live camera and screen sharing to 20 May.
What should you do next?
Check your Search Console data for the Web search type. Then read our Google AI Overviews guide to see how those answers pick sources.
