Latest Google AI Updates: January 2026

On Wednesday, February 4, 2026, Google published the January 2026 edition of “Latest Google AI News,” summarizing the AI announcements made throughout the previous month.

A total of 14 announcements were featured in this update. The topics are diverse, ranging from features for general users to solutions for educational institutions and enterprises.

“Personal Intelligence”

As a new feature for the “Gemini” app, “Personal Intelligence” was announced. This feature can cross-reference personal information stored across various services such as Gmail, Google Photos, YouTube, and Google Search to extract specific details and provide accurate answers by reasoning from those sources.

“Personal Intelligence” is initially being introduced as a beta for “Google AI Pro” and “Google AI Ultra” members in the US on the web, Android, and iOS versions of the Gemini app.

Introduction of “AI Mode” for Personal Intelligence

The introduction of “AI Mode” for “Personal Intelligence” has already been announced.

“AI Mode” for Personal Intelligence is being rolled out as a beta for “Google AI Pro” and “Google AI Ultra” members in the US on the web, Android, and iOS versions of the Gemini app.

New “Gemini 3” Based Features for Gmail

Three new features based on Google AI “Gemini 3” have been announced for the Gmail email service.

These include the introduction of “AI Overviews,” making “Help Me Write” available for free, and the test rollout of a new “AI Inbox” feature. These will initially be deployed for US English, with plans to expand to more regions and languages in the coming months.

Introduction of “Gemini 3” in Gemini in Chrome

Several new features were announced as part of a major update to “Gemini in Chrome,” the Google AI-integrated browser service for Windows, macOS, and Chromebook Plus.

The new “Gemini in Chrome” features include a new side panel, AI image generation via “Nano Banana,” support for Google app connections, the introduction of “Personal Intelligence,” the rollout of the autonomous agent “Auto browse,” and new security features, all currently for the US market.

Partnership with Khan Academy and the University of Oxford

At the British Educational Training and Technology Show (BETT) held in London, Google announced the launch of literacy tools utilizing Gemini through a new partnership with Khan Academy. Additionally, a partnership with the University of Oxford will provide Gemini and NotebookLM to all students and faculty.

Furthermore, new updates for “Google Classroom” and “ChromeOS” were revealed, along with new security features and AI detection capabilities to help educational institutions protect their data.

“Gemini” SAT Practice Feature Rollout

A new feature for practicing the SAT, the US college admission test, has begun rolling out in the Gemini app.

The SAT practice feature is available for free within the Gemini app.

For Educators and Students

Premium Google AI features have started becoming available to more educators and students.

Additionally, some features of “Gemini in Workspace” are now available at no extra cost as part of the core edition of “Google Workspace for Education.” Furthermore, “Google Workspace Studio” has been released as a core service for designing and sharing AI agents.

Seamless Integration of AI Overviews and “AI Mode”

As part of an update to Google Search’s AI features, “Gemini 3” has been introduced as the default AI model for “AI Overviews.” Additionally, seamless integration has been announced, allowing users to ask follow-up questions directly from an AI Overview to “AI Mode.”

New Image Recognition Technology “Agentic Vision”

A new image recognition technology based on “Gemini 3 Flash” called “Agentic Vision” has been announced.

“Agentic Vision” is a new technology designed to accurately recognize uploaded images. While conventional AI models process an image as a whole, “Agentic Vision” actively loops through three stages—thinking, acting, and observing—such as zooming in on fine details within the image to achieve precise recognition.

Veo 3.1 “Ingredients to Video” Enhancements

Functional improvements have been announced for “Ingredients to Video,” a feature in the video generation AI model “Veo 3.1” that generates videos based on reference images.

The enhancements to “Ingredients to Video” allow for more expressive and creative video generation even from simple prompts. It also supports 9:16 vertical aspect ratios for mobile platforms and high-resolution 1080p/4K output. These expressive capabilities and vertical video support have begun rolling out to the Gemini app, as well as YouTube, YouTube Create, Flow, Google Vids, Gemini API, and Vertex AI.

“Dear Upstairs Neighbors” Preview

At the Sundance Film Festival, a preview screening was held for “Dear Upstairs Neighbors,” a short animated film. It is a collaborative work between animation industry veterans, including director Connie He (formerly of Pixar), and researchers from “Google DeepMind.”

AI World Model “Genie 3” Access Opened

Access to “Genie 3” (Project Genie), an experimental AI research prototype that allows users to create and explore worlds, has been opened for “Google AI Ultra” members in the US.

Two Experimental Travel Features for “Google Arts & Culture”

“Google Arts & Culture,” which allows users to digitally explore cultural heritage and collections from over 2,000 museums in more than 80 countries, has launched two experimental travel features: “City Guide,” which curates landmarks and live events based on user interests and schedules, and “Comic Postcards,” which utilizes generative AI.

New AI Technologies for Retailers Revealed

At the National Retail Federation’s “NRF 2026,” new AI technologies and tools for retailers were unveiled, including the business expansion of “Wing,” an autonomous lightweight delivery drone company for product transport.

Source：Google