Further reflecting on Google’s practical focus for Gemini and AI in general at I/O 2026 last week, I still find myself struggling to find ways to actually make this technology useful in ways that actually matter. So, what are you doing with Gemini?
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Over the past couple of years, AI has been a part of daily life. Not necessarily in use, but at least in hearing about all the “progress” being made with it. I don’t really consider myself a flat-out AI hater, but I’m not exactly the biggest fan of this technology. AI can do impressive things, but it usually feels like a game of trying to reinvent the wheel. Gemini’s AI Overviews and AI Mode in Search are a pretty flashy new experience, but they ultimately do the same thing, though often while being worse at that thing (all while Google admits the web is “in rapid decline” – I wonder why). AI tools, Google’s or otherwise, just don’t feel like an objectively better improvement, but usually a lateral evolution that’s also wildly resource-intensive – I’m totally not bitter about RAM prices or anything.









