ai powered search assistants

Elon Musk's xAI is set to bring its Grok AI assistant to Apple CarPlay, offering drivers hands-free access. This move follows CarPlay's opening to AI chatbots like ChatGPT, with Grok becoming the third major player. The integration aims to meet growing demand for advanced AI in vehicles, enhancing navigation and productivity on the go.

Perplexity has launched its AI-powered "Personal Computer" experience for all Mac users, expanding its platform beyond early access. This desktop-native application offers faster, contextual AI assistance directly on macOS, enabling real-time answers, integrated search and writing tools, and seamless workflows with productivity apps.

Google is reportedly testing a new AI personal agent named Remy for its Gemini platform. This advanced tool aims to act as a 24/7 assistant, capable of taking actions on behalf of users across various aspects of their lives.

Summer holiday planning is being revolutionized by free AI tools, transforming a tedious process into a conversational experience. Travelers are leveraging AI assistants to build itineraries, discover destinations, compare flights and hotels, and even create packing lists and budgets in minutes, saving valuable time.

Airbnb's CEO revealed AI is revolutionizing software development, generating 60% of code in Q1 2026. AI now handles 40% of customer support, a significant jump from earlier this year. While AI offers immense leverage for API partners and internal tools, challenges remain in applying chatbots to complex travel and e-commerce bookings, with limitations in text, comparison, and multi-person scenarios.

YouTube is testing a new AI-powered conversational search tool called Ask YouTube, available to Premium subscribers in the U.S. through YouTube Labs. This feature allows users to ask natural language questions and receive blended results of AI summaries, short clips, and highlighted long videos, aiming for a more interactive search experience. The testing period runs until June 8, 2026.

Google, Microsoft, and xAI have agreed to provide the US government with early access to their most powerful AI models. This initiative, led by the Department of Commerce's CAISI, aims to assess potential risks like cyber warfare and military misuse before public release. The collaborations will involve testing models with safety features removed to understand their core capabilities under pressure.

Google is revamping its AI search with updates to AI Mode and AI Overviews, aiming to connect users with original content and authentic voices. New features include 'Where to go next' for deeper exploration, personalized news subscription highlights, advice from real-world discussions, inline links for instant research, and hover previews on desktop.

Slurrp Farm and Google India's Mother's Day film, 'A Mother Is Always Searching,' highlights a mother's daily quest for healthy meals using Google's AI Mode. The narrative, told through her searches, culminates in a touching moment of her child's care, emphasizing the quiet, constant nature of maternal love.

PhonePe has launched an AI-powered tool to drastically cut payment gateway integration time for merchants. This innovation, leveraging proprietary Integration Intelligence, allows businesses to go live in minutes, not days, by simplifying the process through a conversational interface. The move aims to boost productivity and accelerate revenue for SMEs by removing technical hurdles.

YouTube is testing a new AI-powered search feature called 'Ask YouTube' for Premium subscribers. This conversational AI allows users to find videos, get summaries, and even plan trips directly within search results or the video player. The feature is currently in a testing phase until June 8, 2026, and is available in multiple languages.

Generative AI and autonomous agents are rapidly transforming business, yet organizations struggle to implement them effectively. This Executive Programme equips professionals with no-code AI skills to build end-to-end workflows and deliver measurable impact. Participants will leverage over 15 no-code tools and engage in real-world projects to accelerate workplace productivity and drive AI adoption.

Amazon is now offering all employees access to external AI coding tools like Anthropic's Claude Code and OpenAI's Codex, a move driven by developer demand. Previously restricted, these powerful assistants will now run on Amazon Bedrock, enhancing infrastructure and providing developers with more choices beyond the in-house Kiro tool, reflecting Amazon's deepening AI partnerships.

Skyscanner has launched its app within ChatGPT, enabling travellers to search for flights using conversational requests. Users can now find and compare flight options through natural language, with live results and the ability to refine searches via follow-up messages. This integration aims to simplify travel planning by combining trusted pricing data with an intuitive AI interface.

Apple is set to revolutionize iPhone cameras with iOS 27, introducing a dedicated 'Siri Mode' for AI-powered visual search. Users can now point their camera at objects to get instant information, create calendar events from posters, or scan menus for reviews. This move signals Apple's focus on 'looking' as the future of search and hints at future AI-driven hardware.

Gmail's new AI Inbox on mobile prioritizes tasks over traditional email organization, offering direct access to AI-powered task management. It highlights actionable items and summaries, streamlining productivity by surfacing suggested to-dos and summarizing conversations. This feature aims to shift email management towards achieving outcomes, with broader rollout expected later this year.

Prat Vemana, executive VP and chief information and product officer at the $105-billion Target, is trying to put AI into the hands of everyone shaping the retail experience, from designers and planners to store teams and digital engineers. And the India centre is playing a central role in the effort to make Target run on AI

The Siri upgrade Apple promised at WWDC 2024 has cost the company $250 million. Apple is settling a class action lawsuit alleging it misled buyers about Apple Intelligence on the iPhone 16 and iPhone 15 Pro. US customers who bought one between June 2024 and March 2025 can claim $25 to $95 per device. Apple denied wrongdoing. A judge still has to approve the deal.

Adobe's Firefly AI Assistant is now in public beta, offering an all-in-one creative studio for users. This new feature orchestrates multi-step workflows across Creative Cloud apps, allowing users to describe their desired outcome in natural language.

Bank of America's research suggests AI won't cause a 'job Armageddon,' citing historical economic adaptation. While 840 million global jobs are exposed to generative AI, BofA distinguishes between AI as a partner and AI as a replacement, with only a small percentage fully automated. The emergence of 'agentic AI' is noted as a more disruptive force.

Singer Shibani Kashyap shared her views on the growing influence of AI in the music industry during an exclusive interaction with IANS.

Apple is planning to let iPhone users choose their preferred AI model in iOS 27, moving beyond its current ChatGPT-only setup. Dubbed "Extensions," the feature would let third-party models like Google's Gemini and Anthropic's Claude power Siri, Writing Tools, and Image Playground — all accessible through installed App Store apps. The change is expected across iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27 this fall.

Uber is strategically slowing headcount expansion to channel more investment into artificial intelligence, according to CEO Dara Khosrowshahi. AI is proving to be a powerful accelerator, boosting engineer productivity by generating a significant portion of code changes. This shift aims to enhance efficiency across all company operations, making the AI investment highly compelling.

The Gates Foundation Trust holds a significant $3.6 billion stake in Caterpillar, a company increasingly vital for AI infrastructure. Caterpillar's Power Generation business is booming due to data center demand, with its stock soaring 183% in a year. This investment comes as the foundation itself announces substantial job cuts, impacting 20% of its workforce.

Google is exploring significant investments in India, potentially expanding beyond cloud and startup programs to include AI infrastructure and the manufacturing of servers and drones. This follows Google Cloud's substantial $15 billion investment announcement for an AI hub in Visakhapatnam, signaling a deeper commitment to India's technological advancement and hardware production.

Google's DeepMind employees are demanding union recognition amid concerns over their AI technology's use by the US and Israeli militaries. Workers seek a commitment against developing AI weapons and surveillance tools, urging management to voluntarily recognize their unions or face legal action. The move highlights growing anxieties about AI's ethical implications and its potential for harm.