Last week was Google I/O - Google's flagship event. As with any of these showcases, Google announced a few changes and upgrades to their AI ecosystem. To watch the videos head here https://io.google/2026/. Here is a run down of the main changes: 1. New AI Models: Gemini Gets a Major Upgrade Google introduced two significant upgrades to its Gemini AI: Gemini Omni can create content from virtually any type of input — text, images, audio, or video — and represents a major leap in understanding and editing the world's content. Think of it as an AI that can watch a video, listen to audio, and read text all at once, then help you create something new from it. Gemini 3.5 Flash is the first in a new series of models combining strong intelligence with speed and action — meaning it can both think and do things on your behalf. 2. AI That Works for You in the Background (Agents) This is perhaps the biggest shift. Google has moved beyond AI that simply assists you, to "agents" that can independently navigate complex tasks across your entire workflow. In plain terms: instead of you asking AI a question and waiting for an answer, AI can now work on tasks for you while you do other things. Gemini Spark is a new persistent AI agent that can run continuously, completing long-running tasks and integrating with tools — "It's 24/7 so you don't need to keep your laptop open," said CEO Sundar Pichai. Information agents in Search are AI systems you can set up to continuously monitor topics and bring back useful updates in the background — like a research assistant that never sleeps. 3. Smarter Search — More Like a Conversation Google is transforming Search from a traditional search engine into a more interactive AI assistant. Pichai said Search now feels "more like an ongoing conversation," with users asking longer and more complex questions. Ask YouTube is a new feature designed to help users navigate videos more efficiently by surfacing relevant clips and jumping directly to the most useful sections. Great potential for finding exactly the right moment in an educational video.

Dear all, A reminder that this week, Thursday, is the date for our second webinar. This time round I will be in conversation with Crachad Laing, veteran STEM educator and Head of Edtech at King's College. We will chat about a few burning topics in AI and he will carry out a live demo. Please do join us, the more the merrier!

Dear all - There will be a second webinar - Thursday 28th May 6pm. This time we will be joined by Crachad Laing. It would be great to see you all there! Meeting link is in the calendar.

What is everyone doing with AI this week? Don't be shy! I am playing around with Lovable on a couple of ideas and I used it to create a simple game to reiterate the importance of good passwords in Grade 2. https://passwordmonster.lovable.app

Hello all, another shameless plug. I will be on a panel looking at AI innovation and ethics, this Friday, as part of ISBET's Tech Expo at Fusion. I will be sat alongside familiar names from the AI Ready Bahamas event and an expert from UB. The whole event promises to be a great dive into the world of tech and education!