The US government has launched America.gov, an AI-powered chatbot portal that draws on more than 29,000 official sources to answer questions about federal benefits, forms, fees, deadlines, and eligibility. Google serves as the technology partner behind the platform, which supports PDF uploads and voice input similar to Gemini. At launch the tool only provides information and guidance, with plans to support actual form filing, applications, and renewals starting in 2027.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-29
Christina Weaver of Kodiak, Alaska turned herself in to a state wildlife officer after harvesting three Wilson's snipes in September, believing hunting season had opened based on a Google AI Overview stating snipe season began September 1. That date applies to some Alaska regions but not Kodiak, where the actual season runs from October 8 to January 22. The investigating officer confirmed his own search produced the same misleading result.
futurism.com
· 2026-09-29
Google has confirmed it is sunsetting Gemini Gems, with migration to its newer Skills feature beginning November 17. Existing Gems will remain usable until they're converted, and users will retain their customizations in the form of Skills afterward. A banner in the Gems manager announced the change, though Google's linked support page explaining details isn't yet live.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-28
According to GitHub documents reviewed by The Washington Post, US Customs and Border Protection, part of the Department of Homeland Security, will deploy Google AI tools to recommend redactions on FOIA requests. By the end of September, AI will handle documents covering over 10 percent of FOIA requests—roughly 100,000 to 140,000 cases—with DHS staff reviewing the AI's suggestions afterward. Other agencies are pursuing similar tools: the Interior Department uses Microsoft software for attorney-client redactions, the DoJ uses Veriton's aiWARE for video redaction, and HHS is building its own tool called FRED.
engadget.com
· 2026-09-28
Google is now including premium Google Colab benefits within its Google AI Pro and Ultra subscription tiers, giving subscribers access to faster GPU and TPU resources without paying separately for Colab Pro or Pro+. AI Ultra subscribers receive additional perks such as premium GPU access and uninterrupted background code execution. Existing standalone Colab subscribers can stack their compute unit balances with the new plan benefits, which Google says will roll out over the next few weeks.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-25
Google's Alexander Kuscher confirmed on the Android Faithful podcast that Magic Pointer and Rambler, two signature AI features on the new Googlebook laptops, will keep working without a Google AI Pro subscription. Googlebooks ship with a free 12-month AI Pro trial, but Kuscher said this sits on top of the base experience rather than gating these core tools.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-25
Mark Zuckerberg has reportedly rejected calls to join other AI developers in coordinating on safety measures, even as OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google reportedly work toward forming a joint safety coordination body. The details of that proposed organization remain unclear, but its formation suggests some rivals are seeking common ground on managing AI risks.
gizmodo.com
· 2026-09-25
Google has launched Live Avatar, a feature within its Gemini 3.8 Live model that renders an animated persona with lip-syncing and facial expressions during real-time conversations. The feature currently works across the 97 languages Gemini supports without losing video quality, and can display on-screen information while speaking. It is available only to Gemini Enterprise customers, who can choose from preset avatars or build custom ones.
theverge.com
· 2026-09-24
Google is rolling out an early experimental feature that lets Gemini place calls to local businesses on a user's behalf, handling tasks like reservations, stock checks or rescheduling appointments. The AI navigates phone menus and holds while the user watches a live transcript and can take over at any moment. The feature is available today as an early preview to Gemini paid subscribers enrolled in the Phone by Google Public Beta on Pixel 11 in the US.
theverge.com
· 2026-09-24
Several Pixel 10 Pro and Pro XL users report redeeming an additional 12-month trial of Google AI Pro with 5TB storage after their original one-year promo expired. Users found the offer either in the My Pixel app or the Google One app, with reports suggesting it may be limited to certain regions, likely including the US.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-24
According to data compiled by Axios, monthly visits to the top 100 news sites fell from over 70 million in July 2024 to about 47 million in July 2026. The decline coincides with Google's 2024 introduction of AI Overviews atop search results and Meta's rollout of its own AI assistant, both of which surface summarized content instead of directing users to original articles.
futurism.com
· 2026-09-24
Google has released Gemini 3.8 Flash TTS and Flash-Lite TTS, new text-to-speech models that can generate custom voices from text descriptions, replicate a voice from a 30-second sample with permission, and follow directions for accent, pacing, emotion and multi-speaker dialogue. The models support over 100 languages and more than 2,000 ready-made voices, and are rolling out in Gemini Notebook and Google Vids as well as to developers via Google AI Studio and the Gemini API.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-24
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