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What we've learned from Google I/O 2025

Written by: Adrienne Kmetz Tags:

Published: May 21, 2025

Here's what we know from Google IO: 

• AI Mode has rolled out to all users starting May 20, 2025. 
• Brand conversations – specifically the ones that come as a result of PR efforts – are more important than ever, because you will either be in the conversation or you won't. (h/t Britt Klontz)
• We may have more questions than answers as things continue to change and clicks plummet to the content creators that AI Mode runs on. (h/t Lily Ray)
• There was a lack of transparency around why AI Mode is "better" and makes searchers "happier", the environmental impact, and the motives for Google's massive changes to how their model works; previously as a curator and now as an interpreter. What could go wrong? (h/t Brittney Muller)

>Read Noah's thoughts on Google I/O and how SEOs are moving forward

Does Google know the risks its taking?

Brittney Muller didn't pull punches with her after-thoughts: Why were the three most-known issues: Accuracy, bias, and environmental impact, not even mentioned?

"???? Everyone Is Drunk On AI Hype & The Hangover Will Be Brutal

After attending Google I/O, I'm struck by how multiple truths can coexist: This technology is genuinely transformative AND dangerously over-hyped as "almost AGI" (which it's not).

Housing the world's data, no company is in a better or more powerful AI position than Google. Period. Which is why I expected so much more from their AI rollouts.

Competitive pressure is clearly driving product decisions over clearly defined user needs:

It was wild going from the SFO airport where signs urge you to "be mindful of your water usage because California is in a drought," to watching Google essentially setting fresh water on fire to power applications nobody asked for:

-Turn yourself into an Android character (why?)
-Use AI to help you connect with your children
-Put on VR AI glasses to "disconnect" and meditate
-AI-generated videos of talking animals
-AI assistance for every creative endeavor imaginable

???? Zero mention of environmental impact, ethics, accountability, or bias in the opening keynote.

AI Demos: Nearly every AI demo was built in the last few weeks and work under very specific, carefully designed conditions. Step outside those bounds? Many demos break immediately.

These limitations didn't surprise me, but most people don't know the difference between a computer vision model and an LLM. —They see it all as "AI" and are being bamboozled by Google's "AGI" messaging.

The biggest risk? AI Search itself.

Google built its empire on organizing the world's information, but AI search fundamentally shifts from organization to interpretation.

This is a MASSIVE paradigm shift in how Google positions itself in the information ecosystem—from index to active interpreter:

- Shifts user agency (selecting sources → trusting Google's synthesis)
- Changes Google's relationship to information (pointer → provider)
- Transforms Google's role (neutral organizer → active interpreter)

Not to mention it's leaving many websites & SEOs (that fed their AI model) out in the dust.

I'm rooting for Google & hope they don't lose themselves in this AI arms race.

—If you want to learn how to prepare for these changes, sign up for Brittney's AI hot takes newsletter."

Continuing questions we'll hopefully get answered

Noah poses some questions that we're hoping to get better answers to over the next few days and months: 

• How will the craft of SEO change?
• How will conversions change for the orgs we work for / partner with?
• We know clicks are way down – why does building visibility into conversions seem to be missing so far?
• What data will be available to help us create strategies and track performance?
• How do the ABCs of ranking (anchors, body, clicks) fit in when when the surface is AI mode?
• Will engineers still have the same ability to twist the knobs?

Cue the think pieces about acronyms: what will we call SEO now?

AI Mode: Whether you like it or not

Here's what our queen of the Google side eye, Lily Ray had to say so far: 

"Google's big announcements on the SEO/Search front today at Google I/O largely related to their new AI Mode product, which they announced will be available to everyone in the U.S., starting today. AI Mode will be included as a new tab in the Google Search bar - so not the default search experience (yet?), but rather, a tab that the user can navigate to as part of their search experience.

AI Mode will eventually become personalized, drawing upon your past search history and also Gmail history as well. Apparently, users will have the option to turn off this feature starting in the summer.

Google also announced that AI Overviews now leverage the latest Gemini models to create the "quality and accuracy" that users expect from Google Search. According to Google, AI Overviews are leading to users asking much longer and more complex queries in Google Search."

But is that true?

There are many claims in Google's announcement on 5/20/25, but not a lot of transparency or data to back them up. Are "longer, more complex queries" happening because it's harder to find what they need? Is this an indicator that user behavior is changing and AI is meeting it, or user behavior is changing because AI isn't very good at answering questions?

Feels a bit like going to a fortune teller

With a few generic descriptors, you get enough of a generic result to broadly fit. "Here's a list of cool bars, attractions, and good restaurants." Wow, it really knows me!

What else... do you do on vacation with friends? If you sorted Yelp results by "most reviewed" would the list look roughly the same? 

BRB going to copy and paste "big foodie who likes music but also chill vibes" into my dating profile: 

Does Google "owe" traffic to content creators? How much?

Lily goes on to discuss her skepticism about the announcements so far: 

• "I wasn't too surprised by their announcements, given where Google's focus has been over the past couple of years. It's clear that AI has been prioritized above all else, including search quality.
• I wish Google would greatly limit, or even get rid of AI Overviews and allow AI Mode to be the replacement (an OPTIONAL AI product alongside search that searchers can CHOOSE to use, or not).
• I was disheartened, but not surprised, that Google did not say a single word about how they plan to incentivize publishers to keep creating content in light of these new AI features, which swallow up publisher content with very few remaining opportunities to drive traffic to their sites.*
• (*Yes, they claim that 'AI Overviews send more traffic to more websites' but in my opinion, this is a clever play on words that doesn't actually mean publishers are generally seeing more traffic when AIOs are present.)
• In a perfect, idealistic world, I wish Google (and all AI companies) would announce new systems for compensating creators who are featured in their AI answers. Or new AI answers that go above and beyond to showcase external companies and websites
  • and not just for the queries where Google Ads are displayed.
• I also wish Google would speak more about the environmental impact of all these new products, but we didn't hear much on that front either.

For me, the entire thing felt a bit tone-deaf. We get it, AI is the future - but what happened to the Google that used to also speak about the ethical concerns of the way their products impact the world?

What are your thoughts?" 

Brand mentions, it's your time to shine

Britt Klontz, Freelance PR consultant and expert at media relationships, is ready for the wave of brand converts. In digital PR, we've been chasing mentions as fervently as backlinks, and now we know why. 

Britt reminds us: 

"Some of your most valuable PR wins might not send traffic, but they'll still drive influence. As AI summarizes and cites sources directly, your client could be part of the conversation without a click.

In short, PR is becoming a bigger part of how people discover, evaluate, and trust information online." - Britt Klontz

What are your thoughts so far on the announcements? Share with us in the Slack community or on Linkedin.