Google's Nick Fox: Reinventing Google Search with AI Mode, AI Overviews, and Agents // AI Inside #71

AI Inside for Wednesday, May 21, 2025

Lot’s of interesting stuff this week on the AI Inside podcast, including Google’s big AI push in search, hands-on impressions of my second experience with Google’s XR glasses, and breaking news about OpenAI’s $6.4B acquisition of Jony Ive’s AI device startup.

But first… a huge shoutout to our Patron of the Week, Eric Sundberg! If you want to support the show, head to patreon.com/aiinsideshow.

Google’s AI Everywhere Moment

Google’s Nick Fox, who leads the search team, joined me at Google I/O to break down how AI is fundamentally transforming Google’s most iconic products, including search, maps, and shopping. We dig into balancing rapid innovation with user trust, the evolving relationship between AI-powered answers and the open web, and how personal context and privacy are shaping the next generation of search experiences. AI mode is now open for everyone in the US, and it’s a big deal—these features are touching the places users already are, especially in search, which is the entryway for most people’s first interaction with AI.

Google’s XR Glasses and Partnerships

Hands-on with Google’s XR glasses was a highlight at I/O. Everyone was talking about it. For me, having experienced them last December for the first time, it was a revisiting experience. I’m very excited for these to get an official release. The live translation feature, even with a few hiccups, impressed the crowd. Google is partnering with Warby Parker and other eyewear brands to bring these devices to market, and we discuss how these partnerships could help the glasses feel less like prototypes and more like real consumer products. The timeline is looking like next year for wider release, and the excitement is real.

Project Starline, Beam, and Agentic AI

We also talk about Project Starline (now Google Beam), which aims to make remote presence feel real—but it’s likely more for boardrooms than consumers. Google and Microsoft both backing the new MCP agentic AI standard is big news, and we debate what “agent engine optimization” could mean for the future of the web and search. Project Mariner and agentic actions are coming, and we’re watching how monetization and transparency will play out as AI agents start making purchases and recommendations for users.

OpenAI Acquires Jony Ive’s AI Device Startup

Breaking news hit during the show: OpenAI is acquiring Jony Ive’s AI device startup for $6.4 billion. Ive, the legendary iPhone designer, will bring his vision to OpenAI’s hardware ambitions. We discuss what an “AI-first device” could look like, the challenge of matching the iPhone’s impact, and what this means for the competitive landscape as OpenAI brings in top talent and a team of 55 engineers, scientists, and product specialists.

Microsoft Build and AI Agent Trends

Microsoft’s Build conference also made waves with new AI announcements, including a coding agent in GitHub Copilot and deeper integration of agents into Windows. The Model Context Protocol is gaining traction, and we talk about how these agentic tools are becoming a staple for both developers and end users. The vibe this year is that AI is here to stay, and the industry is moving past skepticism toward real adoption.

HUGE thank you to our Executive Producers on Patreon:
Doctor Dew, Jeffrey Maraccini, WPBM 103.7 Asheville NC, Dante Saint James, Bono De Rick, Jason Neifer, Jason Brady, and Anthony Downs

Thank you for watching and reading!