AI Usage at a Glance
Timeline
Apr 11, 2022
ModerationPractice documented: Google uses an AI system called SpamBrain to automatically detect and remove spam, manipulative, and low-quality content from Google Search results. The system was updated most recently in August 2025, targeting content-level spam including AI-generated pages with no added value, keyword stuffing, and scraped content.
Practice DocumentedView practice →Feb 8, 2023
ModerationNew evidence: Google Search's guidance about AI-generated content
Evidence AddedView practice →May 11, 2023
ProductivityPractice documented: Google has embedded AI writing and automation tools throughout its Workspace productivity suite — including Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Meet, and Drive — allowing users to draft emails, summarize documents, generate images, transcribe meetings, and automate routine tasks using natural language prompts. As of April 2025, Gemini in Workspace provides business users with more than 2 billion AI assists every month.
Practice DocumentedView practice →Feb 21, 2024
ProductivityNew evidence: Introducing Gemini for Google Workspace, plus more AI offerings to better meet your business needs
Evidence AddedView practice →Mar 1, 2024
ModerationNew evidence: What web creators should know about our March 2024 core update and new spam policies
Evidence AddedView practice →Apr 10, 2024
ProductivityNew evidence: Google Unveils New AI Innovations in Workspace at Cloud Next 2024
Evidence AddedView practice →May 10, 2024
Creative GenPractice documented: Google offers AI-powered video generation tools that let anyone create short, cinematic video clips by typing a text description or providing reference images. The technology is available through the Flow filmmaking tool, the Gemini app, and Vertex AI for enterprises, and is powered by Google's Veo model family. By October 2025, Flow had generated over 275 million videos.
Practice DocumentedView practice →May 14, 2024
RecommendationPractice documented: Google uses its Gemini AI model to automatically generate written summaries — called 'AI Overviews' — at the top of many Search results pages, and deployed a dedicated 'AI Mode' tab for deeper, multi-turn conversations within Search. As of mid-2025, AI Overviews reach over 2 billion monthly users globally, and AI Mode reached 75 million daily active users by December 2025.
Practice DocumentedView practice →Oct 17, 2024
Data AnalysisPractice documented: Google offers enterprise AI tools for healthcare organizations to analyze patient data, medical imaging, and clinical records through Google Cloud's Vertex AI platform; the standalone MedLM model family was deprecated in September 2025 and replaced by MedGemma, an open-source collection of medical AI models released in May 2025 and built on Gemma 3. MedGemma is available for free download by healthcare developers worldwide.
Practice DocumentedView practice →Jan 1, 2025
ProductivityPractice documented: Google uses AI to automate large parts of the online advertising process for businesses that use Google Ads — automatically setting bids, selecting audiences, generating ad copy, and distributing ads across Search, YouTube, Gmail, Maps, and Discover, all without requiring manual keyword management. AI Max for Search campaigns exited beta and began auto-upgrading legacy Dynamic Search Ads campaigns starting September 2026.
Practice DocumentedView practice →Jan 15, 2025
ProductivityNew evidence: The best of Google AI, now included in Workspace Business and Enterprise plans
Evidence AddedView practice →Jan 23, 2025
ProductivityPractice documented: NotebookLM is a Google AI tool that allows users to upload documents, research papers, or other source material and have AI generate summaries, ask questions, create study guides, and even produce a realistic-sounding audio podcast ("Audio Overview") in which two AI voices discuss the material.
Practice DocumentedView practice →Mar 3, 2025
Data AnalysisNew evidence: How healthcare organizations are using generative AI search and agents
Evidence AddedView practice →Mar 5, 2025
RecommendationNew evidence: Expanding AI Overviews and introducing AI Mode
Evidence AddedView practice →Mar 19, 2025
ProductivityPractice documented: Google deployed NotebookLM, an AI tool that lets users upload documents and research material to get AI-generated summaries, study guides, presentations, and a realistic 'Audio Overview' podcast featuring two AI voices discussing the uploaded content. As of March 2026, NotebookLM also generates 'Cinematic Video Overviews' and is available across personal, business, and education accounts.
Practice DocumentedView practice →Apr 9, 2025
ProductivityNew evidence: Announcing the latest AI capabilities in Google Workspace with Gemini
Evidence AddedView practice →May 1, 2025
Data AnalysisNew evidence: MedGemma | Health AI Developer Foundations
Evidence AddedView practice →May 6, 2025
Creative GenPractice documented: Google's advertising platform offers AI tools that automatically generate text headlines, ad descriptions, and creative asset combinations for advertisers using Performance Max and AI Max, reducing the need to manually write every ad variant. AI Max specifically generates new text by analyzing the advertiser's landing page content.
Practice DocumentedView practice →May 6, 2025
ProductivityNew evidence: Unlock next-level performance with AI Max for Search campaigns
Evidence AddedView practice →May 20, 2025
Creative GenNew evidence: Fuel your creativity with new generative media models and tools
Evidence AddedView practice →May 20, 2025
Creative GenPractice documented: Google offers AI-powered music generation tools that let anyone create original music tracks from text descriptions or images using its Lyria AI model, available in the Gemini app, Google Vids, and through the Gemini API. Lyria 3 launched in February 2026 for 30-second clips, and Lyria 3 Pro launched in March 2026 enabling tracks up to three minutes long.
Practice DocumentedView practice →May 20, 2025
RecommendationNew evidence: AI in Search: Going beyond information to intelligence
Evidence AddedView practice →Jun 25, 2025
Creative GenNew evidence: 5 tips for getting started with Flow
Evidence AddedView practice →Aug 1, 2025
Data AnalysisNew evidence: MedGemma: Our most capable open models for health AI development
Evidence AddedView practice →Sep 11, 2025
ModerationNew evidence: Google August 2025 Spam Update | What SEOs Need to Know
Evidence AddedView practice →Sep 29, 2025
Data AnalysisNew evidence: Create MedLM prompts | Generative AI on Vertex AI
Evidence AddedView practice →Oct 15, 2025
Creative GenNew evidence: Bringing new Veo 3.1 updates into Flow to edit AI video
Evidence AddedView practice →Nov 2, 2025
Creative GenPractice documented: Google's advertising platform automatically generates text headlines, ad descriptions, images, and short video snippets for advertisers using AI, reducing the need for human copywriters and creative teams to produce every ad variant.
Practice DocumentedView practice →Nov 18, 2025
Customer SvcPractice documented: Google deployed Gemini, a multimodal AI assistant and chatbot available as a standalone app and embedded across Android devices, replacing the older Google Assistant. It can handle text, images, audio, and video, and is capable of performing multi-step tasks. As of Q4 2025, the Gemini app surpassed 750 million monthly active users.
Practice DocumentedView practice →Dec 4, 2025
Data AnalysisNew evidence: Accelerate medical research with PubMed data now available in BigQuery
Evidence AddedView practice →Dec 19, 2025
ProductivityNew evidence: Google AI Ultra for Business plan adds enhanced NotebookLM experience
Evidence AddedView practice →Dec 19, 2025
RecommendationNew evidence: SEO Pulse: AI Mode Hits 75M Users, Gemini 3 Flash Launches
Evidence AddedView practice →Dec 25, 2025
Creative GenNew evidence: Google Ads 2025 Year-in-Review: Every Major Update Explained (And What to Expect in 2026)
Evidence AddedView practice →Jan 13, 2026
Creative GenNew evidence: Veo 3.1 Ingredients to Video: New video generation model updates
Evidence AddedView practice →Jan 27, 2026
RecommendationNew evidence: AI Mode in Google Search and AI Overviews get Gemini upgrades
Evidence AddedView practice →Feb 4, 2026
Customer SvcNew evidence: Google's Gemini app has surpassed 750M monthly active users
Evidence AddedView practice →Feb 4, 2026
Customer SvcNew evidence: Alphabet Announces Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2025 Results
Evidence AddedView practice →Feb 10, 2026
ProductivityNew evidence: Google’s AI Max Power Play: How the Search Giant Is Nudging Advertisers Toward Full Automation — Whether They Like It or Not
Evidence AddedView practice →Feb 18, 2026
Creative GenNew evidence: A new way to express yourself: Gemini can now create music
Evidence AddedView practice →Feb 24, 2026
Creative GenNew evidence: ProducerAI: Your music creation partner, now in Google Labs
Evidence AddedView practice →Mar 10, 2026
ProductivityNew evidence: Gemini update reimagines content creation for business users
Evidence AddedView practice →Mar 12, 2026
RecommendationPractice documented: Google deployed two major AI features in Google Maps in March 2026: 'Ask Maps,' a Gemini-powered conversational tool that answers complex real-world location questions in natural language, and 'Immersive Navigation,' a 3D driving experience where Gemini models analyze Street View and aerial photos to generate an accurate visual view of the route ahead.
Practice DocumentedView practice →Mar 20, 2026
ProductivityNew evidence: New ways to customize and interact with your content in NotebookLM
Evidence AddedView practice →Mar 25, 2026
Creative GenNew evidence: Lyria 3 expands to more Google products, adds more features
Evidence AddedView practice →Mar 25, 2026
Creative GenNew evidence: How developers can use Lyria 3 for AI music generation
Evidence AddedView practice →Apr 6, 2026
ProductivityNew evidence: Expanded NotebookLM capabilities for Education Plus and Teaching & Learning add-on customers
Evidence AddedView practice →Apr 14, 2026
ProductivityNew evidence: Google's Dynamic Search Ads are upgrading to AI Max
Evidence AddedView practice →Apr 14, 2026
Creative GenNew evidence: Google's Dynamic Search Ads are upgrading to AI Max
Evidence AddedView practice →Recent activity
Google deployed NotebookLM, an AI tool that lets users upload documents and research material to get AI-generated summaries, study guides, presentations, and a realistic 'Audio Overview' podcast featuring two AI voices discussing the uploaded content. As of March 2026, NotebookLM also generates 'Cinematic Video Overviews' and is available across personal, business, and education accounts.
NotebookLM launched publicly in 2023 and became popular following the introduction of 'Audio Overviews' — a conversational AI-generated podcast from uploaded sources. In March 2026, Google added 'Cinematic Video Overviews' (immersive animated videos from source material), new infographic styles, slide deck generation and revision, and EPUB file support. NotebookLM is available to all personal Google account users, all Workspace Business and Enterprise customers (bundled since January 2025), and Education Plus users. Enhanced limits are available with Google AI Pro, Ultra, and the new Google AI Ultra for Business add-on. As of August 2025, NotebookLM became available to all education users. The Audio Overviews API is also available to select Google Cloud customers.
Google's advertising platform offers AI tools that automatically generate text headlines, ad descriptions, and creative asset combinations for advertisers using Performance Max and AI Max, reducing the need to manually write every ad variant. AI Max specifically generates new text by analyzing the advertiser's landing page content.
Within Performance Max campaigns, Google's AI assembles custom ad combinations per placement by mixing and matching advertiser-supplied assets; generative AI asset creation for text and images began rolling out in beta in November 2023. AI Max (launched globally in beta starting May 27, 2025, and moving out of beta as of 2026) adds the ability to automatically generate new text headlines and descriptions by analyzing the advertiser's landing page content, existing ads, and keywords. Google's blog reported that L'Oréal achieved a 2x higher conversion rate at a 31% lower cost-per-conversion using AI Max. AI Max was originally available as an opt-in feature suite; starting September 2026, campaigns using Dynamic Search Ads, automatically created assets, and campaign-level broad match will be automatically upgraded to AI Max. The system also generates image assets and auto-created video variations from existing assets within Performance Max campaigns.
Google uses AI to automate large parts of the online advertising process for businesses that use Google Ads — automatically setting bids, selecting audiences, generating ad copy, and distributing ads across Search, YouTube, Gmail, Maps, and Discover, all without requiring manual keyword management. AI Max for Search campaigns exited beta and began auto-upgrading legacy Dynamic Search Ads campaigns starting September 2026.
Performance Max, Google's flagship AI-automated campaign type, is used by over 1 million advertisers and uses Google AI across bidding, budget optimization, audiences, and creative assembly. Smart Bidding uses machine learning to set real-time bids per auction. AI Max for Search launched globally in beta in May 2025 and uses AI to match ads to user intent beyond explicit keyword lists, with text customization generated from landing page content. As of 2026, Dynamic Search Ads (DSA) campaigns are being automatically upgraded to AI Max, with Google announcing September 2026 as the completion deadline. L'Oréal reported a 2x conversion rate increase with 31% lower cost-per-conversion using AI Max.
All practices by category
Google deployed NotebookLM, an AI tool that lets users upload documents and research material to get AI-generated summaries, study guides, presentations, and a realistic 'Audio Overview' podcast featuring two AI voices discussing the uploaded content. As of March 2026, NotebookLM also generates 'Cinematic Video Overviews' and is available across personal, business, and education accounts.
NotebookLM is a Google AI tool that allows users to upload documents, research papers, or other source material and have AI generate summaries, ask questions, create study guides, and even produce a realistic-sounding audio podcast ("Audio Overview") in which two AI voices discuss the material.
Google uses AI to automate large parts of the online advertising process for businesses that use Google Ads — automatically setting bids, selecting audiences, generating ad copy, and distributing ads across Search, YouTube, Gmail, Maps, and Discover, all without requiring manual keyword management. AI Max for Search campaigns exited beta and began auto-upgrading legacy Dynamic Search Ads campaigns starting September 2026.
Google has embedded AI writing and automation tools throughout its Workspace productivity suite — including Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Meet, and Drive — allowing users to draft emails, summarize documents, generate images, transcribe meetings, and automate routine tasks using natural language prompts. As of April 2025, Gemini in Workspace provides business users with more than 2 billion AI assists every month.
Google's advertising platform offers AI tools that automatically generate text headlines, ad descriptions, and creative asset combinations for advertisers using Performance Max and AI Max, reducing the need to manually write every ad variant. AI Max specifically generates new text by analyzing the advertiser's landing page content.
Google's advertising platform automatically generates text headlines, ad descriptions, images, and short video snippets for advertisers using AI, reducing the need for human copywriters and creative teams to produce every ad variant.
Google offers AI-powered music generation tools that let anyone create original music tracks from text descriptions or images using its Lyria AI model, available in the Gemini app, Google Vids, and through the Gemini API. Lyria 3 launched in February 2026 for 30-second clips, and Lyria 3 Pro launched in March 2026 enabling tracks up to three minutes long.
Google offers AI-powered video generation tools that let anyone create short, cinematic video clips by typing a text description or providing reference images. The technology is available through the Flow filmmaking tool, the Gemini app, and Vertex AI for enterprises, and is powered by Google's Veo model family. By October 2025, Flow had generated over 275 million videos.
Google deployed two major AI features in Google Maps in March 2026: 'Ask Maps,' a Gemini-powered conversational tool that answers complex real-world location questions in natural language, and 'Immersive Navigation,' a 3D driving experience where Gemini models analyze Street View and aerial photos to generate an accurate visual view of the route ahead.
Google uses its Gemini AI model to automatically generate written summaries — called 'AI Overviews' — at the top of many Search results pages, and deployed a dedicated 'AI Mode' tab for deeper, multi-turn conversations within Search. As of mid-2025, AI Overviews reach over 2 billion monthly users globally, and AI Mode reached 75 million daily active users by December 2025.
Cite this record
Trace Foundation. (2026). Google: documented AI practices (data as of 2026-04-27) [Data set record]. AI Trace. https://www.aitrace.org/r/company/3be3c0d7-fb8f-4ca7-a69f-33b76733791c. Accessed September 12, 2026.
- Stable link
- https://www.aitrace.org/r/company/3be3c0d7-fb8f-4ca7-a69f-33b76733791c
- Data as of
- April 27, 2026
- Last verified
- March 1, 2026
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