Google I/O Just Changed the Game.
Gemini Spark, free Deep Research, and Grok connectors gave executives several practical moves during Google I/O week.
What matters today
Gemini Spark, free Deep Research, and Grok connectors gave executives several practical moves during Google I/O week.
Key points
- Open the Spark panel in Gemini Enterprise and connect only the data sources needed for one task.
- Open Gemini and confirm that the model footer shows Gemini 3.5 Flash.
- Open Grok settings and connect Gamma, plus S&P Global only if your organization already licenses it.
- Choose the decision. Name the competitor and the upcoming deal, planning meeting, or board discussion.
- Connect Gamma. Enable the connector in Grok settings before beginning the research session.
Welcome byte
Google I/O gave teams several practical choices that week. Gemini Spark arrived as a background Workspace agent that can triage email, update documents, and handle recurring work with approval gates. Gemini 3.5 Flash also became the default model across the Gemini app and Search AI Mode, while Deep Research became available on Flash without the earlier AI Pro gate.
Grok added connectors for Gamma, Canva, Vercel, and S&P Global, putting research and presentation work in one session. The useful test is not whether every new feature belongs in your stack. Pick one recurring task, one research brief, or one deck your team already produces and see whether the new workflow gives you a cleaner first draft.
Quick Hits
Google Search agents are planned for summer.
Google described background agents that monitor chosen topics and surface results without repeated searches. They were positioned for AI Pro and Ultra subscribers who need competitor or supplier monitoring. Read more
Gemini arrived in Chrome for browser tasks.
The update lets Gemini navigate pages, fill forms, and complete multi-step tasks by voice or cursor. Start with a low-risk vendor comparison before using it for any customer-facing workflow. Read more
NVIDIA released the Nemotron model family.
Five open model families and a 10 trillion-token training dataset gave development teams more starting points for agent work. Review the licensing and model fit before moving a custom workflow into production. Read more
Anthropic projected its first operating profit.
The company expected $10.9 billion in second-quarter revenue and a $559 million operating profit, according to contemporary reporting. That gave enterprise buyers another data point for long-term vendor reviews. Read more
ChatGPT images gained provenance metadata.
OpenAI's release notes described SynthID watermarking and C2PA metadata for generated images. Teams using AI visuals should keep an internal record of where each production image came from. Read more
Top AI Updates
1. Put Gemini Spark on one recurring Workspace task
Google introduced Gemini Spark at I/O on May 20 as a background agent for Gemini Enterprise and Google Workspace. It can sort recurring email work, draft replies, update documents, and monitor Gmail, Google Docs, SharePoint, OneDrive, and ServiceNow.
Spark requires explicit approval before sending email or changing shared files. Start with one narrow assignment, such as weekday inbox triage, rather than an unattended process.
Why it matters: The work moves from a one-off chat request to a recurring assignment with a review step. Teams can test an agent against a real queue without handing it final authority.
Action items:
- Open the Spark panel in Gemini Enterprise and connect only the data sources needed for one task.
- Schedule weekday inbox triage or a document-status check, then keep outbound approval enabled.
- Review the activity log before expanding the task.
2. Verify Gemini Flash before your next research run
Gemini 3.5 Flash became the default model in the Gemini app and Google Search AI Mode. Google's issue research described it as four times faster than comparable frontier models and available across Gemini tiers, while Deep Research moved onto Flash for users who previously needed AI Pro.
That combination changes the economics of a longer research task. Instead of treating cited competitive work as a paid-tool exception, a team could run one comparable brief on Flash and judge the output against its existing process.
Why it matters: Model defaults quietly shape what a team uses every day. Checking the active model and testing a familiar task gives you evidence before changing an internal workflow or paying for another research seat.
Action items:
- Open Gemini and confirm that the model footer shows Gemini 3.5 Flash.
- Turn on Deep Research and run one long-document or competitor-research test.
- For Workspace, review AI settings before making Flash an organization default.
3. Move Grok research into a deck
xAI expanded Grok Connectors on May 22 with Gamma for presentations, Canva for design output, Vercel for deployment, and S&P Global for market data. The integrations were available in Grok on the web, iOS, and Android, though S&P Global still required an existing licensed account.
The useful combination for a finance or strategy team was S&P Global research followed by a Gamma briefing. Grok could gather several quarters of data and hand the result to a presentation tool without a separate copy-and-paste phase.
Why it matters: The connector chain turns a research session into a shareable first draft. It does not replace review, but it can remove the manual reformatting that usually sits between analysis and a meeting.
Action items:
- Open Grok settings and connect Gamma, plus S&P Global only if your organization already licenses it.
- Ask for a one-page earnings briefing from the last three quarters.
- Review the Gamma draft, correct the figures, and share only after the human edit.
Pro Tip
Build a cited competitor brief with Gemini Deep Research
Gemini Deep Research moved from the paid AI Pro tier to the free Flash model that week. The tool runs several search cycles, follows citations, and returns a structured report, which makes it useful for a sales, strategy, or leadership brief when you need more than a list of links. The historical workflow produced a source-linked first draft in about eight minutes, then required a human check before it became a decision document.
Reusable prompt: “Use Deep Research to analyze [competitor name]'s product positioning, pricing, and recent announcements. Structure the output as: executive summary, strengths versus [your company], pricing comparison, three risks, and three opportunities. Cite all sources.”
Action items:
- Choose the decision. Name the competitor and the upcoming deal, planning meeting, or board discussion.
- Run the brief. Enable Deep Research, paste the prompt, and wait for the cited report.
- Check the claims. Open the cited pricing and announcement sources before circulating the summary.
Read the competitor brief guide
Copy-ready guide Gemini Deep Research Is Now Free: The Competitor Brief Prompt That Saves 2 Hours of Analyst Work
Productivity Gem
Turn a Grok research session into a five-slide Gamma deck
Grok's Gamma connector addressed the slow part of an AI research workflow: moving a useful analysis into a presentation. After research is complete, ask Grok to structure the result as five slides: title and context, problem, findings, recommendations, and next steps.
Reusable instruction: “Build the research above into a Gamma deck with five slides: title and context, problem, key findings, recommendations, and next steps.”
Action items:
- Connect Gamma. Enable the connector in Grok settings before beginning the research session.
- Build the draft. Append the deck instruction after the research output is complete.
- Polish the share link. Check numbers, add your branding, and adjust the recommendation slide.
Read the Grok-to-Gamma deck guide
Put it to work The Grok-to-Gamma Deck: Turn Any Research Session Into a Shareable Presentation in 10 Minutes
Health Tip
Use Apple Watch data for summer training
Start in Apple Health and export 14 days of Apple Watch HRV, resting heart rate, and sleep data. Upload it to ChatGPT and request a four-week plan for your outdoor-running goal.
- Export the baseline. Gather 14 days of HRV, resting heart rate, and sleep data.
- Ask for a plan. Request progressive workouts and rest-day triggers at 15 percent below baseline.
- Review weekly. Add the next seven days of data before changing training volume or intensity.
Use the output as a planning aid, not a diagnosis. This information is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Please consult a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your health routine.
Read the summer recovery protocol
Step-by-step guide Summer Recovery Protocol: Feed 14 Days of Apple Watch Data Into ChatGPT Before Outdoor Training Picks Up
Kids Tip
Build a quiz in Google AI Studio
A child can use Google AI Studio to build a quiz master on any topic. In 30 minutes, they control the instructions while the AI follows them.
- Open a chat prompt. Sign in, choose Create a prompt, then select Chat prompt.
- Write the rules. Ask for 10 multiple-choice questions, hints for wrong answers, and scorekeeping on a chosen topic.
- Test and improve. Play several rounds, then change the topic, difficulty, or quiz personality.
The child builds a quiz and learns that a system prompt is an instruction set, not a magic answer.
Try the activity Build Your Own AI Quiz Game With Google AI Studio: A 30-Minute Activity for Ages 8 to 16
Wrap Up
I like the contrast in this week's releases: tasks that once needed a researcher, a presentation specialist, or a careful manual review could now begin with a Gemini agent, a Deep Research brief, or a Grok-to-Gamma draft. The review still matters, but the first useful version arrives faster. Which one of these capabilities are you going to put to use? How?
About the author
Pierre has spent 25+ years building growth systems across fintech, real estate, lending, campaigns, and AI workflows, with $1.5B+ in client value delivered.
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