Google AI Tools: Complete Guide to Google’s AI Tools

Google AI has grown far beyond a single chatbot.

Today, Google’s AI ecosystem includes tools for answering questions, searching the web, conducting research, writing, coding, creating images and videos, generating music, studying, working with documents, building applications and even automating certain tasks.

At the center of that ecosystem is Gemini, but Gemini is only one part of the picture. Google’s current AI product lineup also includes AI Mode, Gemini Notebook, Deep Research, Google AI Studio, Gemini API, Google Antigravity, Nano Banana, Veo, Flow, Lyria and AI features built into products such as Search, Workspace, Chrome, Maps, Photos and Android.

That can make Google AI confusing at first. Which tool should you use for research? Is AI Mode different from Gemini? What happened to NotebookLM? Where does Veo fit in? And do you actually need a paid Google AI plan to use these tools?

This guide brings the ecosystem together in one place, explains what the major Google AI tools actually do, and shows where each one fits.

What Are Google AI Tools?

Google AI tools are the collection of artificial-intelligence products, features, models and developer services that Google provides for everyday use, search, research, productivity, creativity, software development and automation.

Some are consumer-facing applications. Others are features built into existing Google products, while developer tools give programmers access to Google’s AI models and infrastructure.

Google currently organizes its AI ecosystem around several broad areas: AI-first products, AI features, experimental tools, developer platforms, AI models and research.

So when someone searches for Google AI tools, they could be looking for something as simple as an AI chatbot, or something much more specific, such as an AI video generator, research assistant, image generator or development platform.

Is Google AI the Same as Gemini?

No.

Gemini is Google’s main general-purpose AI assistant, but Google AI is the larger ecosystem around it.

For example, you might use:

• Gemini for general questions, writing and multimodal assistance.
• AI Mode for conversational web searching.
• AI Overviews for AI-generated summaries in Google Search.
• Deep Research for more extensive research.
• Gemini Notebook for working with your own research sources.
• Google AI Studio for building AI applications.
• Veo for video generation.
• Nano Banana for image generation and editing.
• Flow for broader AI filmmaking and creative workflows.
• Lyria for music and audio generation.

The important distinction is that these tools are increasingly connected rather than existing as completely separate products.

Google AI Tools at a Glance

If you don’t want to read the entire guide first, this table gives you the basic map.

Google’s current AI directory supports this broader view of the ecosystem rather than treating “Google AI” as synonymous with Gemini alone.

Google Gemini

What Is Google Gemini?

Google Gemini is Google’s general-purpose AI assistant.

It’s the part of Google’s AI ecosystem most people encounter first.

You can use Gemini to ask questions, brainstorm ideas, write and rewrite content, analyze information, work with files, research topics, write code and interact with different types of media, depending on the capabilities available to your account and device.

Gemini also acts as a doorway into several other Google AI experiences. Google’s current product ecosystem describes Gemini as a personal AI assistant while separately presenting AI Mode, Gemini Notebook, Flow and other products.

What Can Gemini Do?

The exact capabilities change as Google adds new models and features, but common uses include:

• Answering questions
• Explaining complicated subjects
• Writing and rewriting
• Brainstorming
• Summarizing information
• Analyzing files
• Research
• Coding
• Creating and editing images
• Voice conversations
• Working with projects and notebooks
• Creating interactive content

Gemini is therefore best understood as the general-purpose entry point into Google’s AI ecosystem rather than a tool designed for only one task.

Who Is Gemini For?

Almost anyone who wants to use Google’s AI capabilities without building software themselves can find a use for Gemini.

A student might use it to understand a difficult concept. A writer might use it to develop ideas. A business owner might use it to analyze information or draft material. A developer might use Gemini alongside Google’s development tools.

The more specialized your task becomes, however, the more useful Google’s dedicated AI products can be.

Google AI Mode and AI Overviews

Google’s AI isn’t limited to a separate chatbot. Some of it now lives directly inside Search.

What Is Google AI Mode?

AI Mode is Google’s conversational AI experience inside Google Search.

Instead of treating every search as a separate query, AI Mode allows users to ask more complex questions and continue exploring a subject through follow-up questions.

Google’s current AI product ecosystem describes AI Mode as an experience where users can “ask anything, any way” within Search.

That makes AI Mode particularly relevant when you don’t have a simple keyword-style query.

For example, instead of searching:

best laptop for video editing

and then running several additional searches, you could ask a more detailed question explaining your budget, workflow and priorities and continue refining the conversation.

What Are Google AI Overviews?

AI Overviews are AI-generated summaries that can appear in Google Search for relevant queries.

They are designed to give users a quick starting point before they explore the underlying web results.

AI Overviews and AI Mode should therefore not be treated as identical.

AI Mode vs AI Overviews

The easiest distinction is:

AI Overviews provide an AI-generated overview within Search.

AI Mode provides a deeper, conversational Search experience where you can continue asking questions.

Google is increasingly connecting these experiences. Its current AI product material highlights the ability to continue a conversation from an AI Overview into AI Mode.

For publishers and website owners, this distinction matters because both experiences change how people discover information through Google.

Gemini Deep Research

If Gemini answers a question, Deep Research is designed to investigate one.

What Is Gemini Deep Research?

Gemini Deep Research is Google’s AI-assisted research feature for conducting more extensive, real-time research on a subject.

Google says Deep Research uses Google Search as a source by default and can also use other sources, including Gmail, Drive, uploaded files and NotebookLM notebooks.

That makes it different from simply asking Gemini:

Tell me about electric vehicles.

You can instead give Deep Research a more substantial research assignment and allow it to develop a research plan and investigate multiple sources.

How Does Deep Research Work?

The basic workflow is:

1. Give Gemini a research question or assignment.
2. Gemini creates a research plan.
3. Review or edit the plan if necessary.
4. Start the research.
5. Gemini investigates the available sources.
6. A research report is generated.

Google says a typical report takes around 5–10 minutes, although more complicated reports can take longer.

That time is part of the point. Deep Research is designed for tasks where gathering and synthesizing information matters more than receiving an instant short answer.

What Sources Can Deep Research Use?

Google Search is included by default, but users can also select additional sources such as:

• Gmail
• Google Drive
• Uploaded files
• NotebookLM notebooks

The availability of connected Google services depends on the account and configuration.

Who Should Use Deep Research?

Deep Research can be useful for:

• Students
• Writers
• Researchers
• Business owners
• Analysts
• Professionals
• Anyone investigating a complicated subject

It’s particularly useful when the task involves multiple sources rather than one quick answer.

Gemini Notebook

What Is Gemini Notebook?

Gemini Notebook is Google’s research and thinking workspace, formerly known as NotebookLM.

Google officially announced the name change in July 2026. It said the product remains a standalone research tool while becoming more connected with the wider Google ecosystem, including Gemini and Google Search.

The change is important for anyone researching Google AI today because older articles will still refer to NotebookLM, while Google’s current product branding uses Gemini Notebook.

Is Gemini Notebook the Same as NotebookLM?

Yes.

Gemini Notebook is the renamed NotebookLM.

Google says the product continues to focus on research and source-grounded work, while adding deeper connections with the Gemini ecosystem.

Google also introduced notebooks inside the Gemini app, with notebooks syncing across Gemini and the standalone NotebookLM experience during the transition.

What Can Gemini Notebook Do?

Gemini Notebook is particularly useful when you already have information you want to understand.

For example, you might provide:

• Research papers
• PDFs
• Websites
• YouTube videos
• Google Docs
• Notes
• Other source material

You can then ask questions about that material rather than starting with an entirely open-ended AI prompt.

Google has also highlighted outputs such as Audio Overviews, slide decks, infographics, video overviews, study guides and other research-oriented formats.

Why Is Gemini Notebook Different From Gemini?

The distinction is mainly about where the information comes from.

Gemini is a broad AI assistant.

Gemini Notebook is designed around a collection of sources you provide and want to understand, organize or explore.

If you’re researching a specific subject using a large pile of documents, a notebook-style workflow can make more sense than keeping everything in one ordinary chat.

Google AI Studio

What Is Google AI Studio?

Google AI Studio is Google’s development environment for building with its AI models.

This is where the Google AI ecosystem starts to move from using AI toward building with AI.

Google currently describes AI Studio as part of its full AI development stack and highlights capabilities for building with its latest AI models.

Can Google AI Studio Build Apps?

Yes.

AI Studio can be used to create interactive applications from natural-language instructions and generated code.

Google’s current examples include creating interactive web components with a single prompt and publishing applications through AI Studio.

This is particularly interesting for people who have an application idea but don’t want to begin by writing every line of code manually.

Can Google AI Studio Generate Code?

Yes.

AI Studio can generate and work with application code as part of the development process.

For experienced developers, it can become a rapid prototyping environment. For less experienced builders, it can provide a way to turn a concept into something tangible and then refine it.

That said, generated code still needs to be tested, reviewed and secured before it should be treated as production-ready software.

Google AI Developer Tools

Google’s developer ecosystem extends beyond AI Studio.

Gemini API

The Gemini API allows developers to integrate Google’s AI models into their own applications.

This is fundamentally different from opening the Gemini app and asking it a question.

With an API, the developer can build Gemini-powered functionality into software they control.

That could include:

• AI assistants
• Content analysis
• Search interfaces
• Document processing
• Coding tools
• Business applications
• Custom workflows

Google currently lists the Gemini API alongside AI Studio and its other developer platforms.

Google Antigravity

Google Antigravity is Google’s agent-first development platform.

Google’s current AI ecosystem positions it alongside AI Studio and the Gemini API as part of its developer stack.

The important idea here is the shift from AI simply suggesting code to AI systems helping perform more complex development tasks.

Gemini Code Assist

Gemini Code Assist provides AI coding assistance for developers.

It belongs to a broader collection of Google AI development tools that also includes Antigravity, Colab, Android Studio and Chrome DevTools.

If your goal is simply to ask an AI to explain a programming problem, Gemini may be enough. If you’re actively developing software, Google’s developer-specific tools become more relevant.

Google AI Image Generation

Google’s AI image ecosystem has expanded considerably.

Can Google AI Create Images?

Yes.

Google provides image-generation and editing capabilities through products and models including Gemini and Nano Banana, while Imagen represents Google’s dedicated image-generation model family.

Google currently describes Nano Banana as a model for creating and editing detailed images.

Nano Banana

Nano Banana is Google’s family of image-generation and editing models.

Rather than thinking of it only as a text-to-image generator, Google’s current examples show image editing, transformation and creation workflows.

That can include changing elements in an existing image, creating visuals from descriptions and working with real-world visual concepts.

Imagen

Imagen is Google’s image-generation model family.

The distinction is useful:

• Gemini is the user-facing AI assistant.
• Nano Banana focuses on image creation and editing.
• Imagen is Google’s dedicated image-generation model family.

The exact capabilities available to users depend on the product through which a model is exposed.

Google AI Video Generation

What Is Google Veo?

Veo is Google’s generative video model family.

It is designed to generate video from prompts and support more advanced visual-generation workflows.

Google’s current AI ecosystem lists video-generation models alongside its image and music models.

For someone searching for a Google AI video generator, Veo is one of the key names to know.

What Is Google Flow?

Google Flow is an AI creative studio designed for filmmaking and visual creation.

This makes Flow different from simply describing Veo as a video generator.

Google says Flow has expanded into an AI creative studio with video and image generation and editing, and it has introduced agents for different parts of the creative process.

That makes Flow more of a creative workflow environment, while Veo is a model family powering video generation.

What Can Google AI Video Tools Create?

Depending on the specific product and available features, Google’s video ecosystem can support:

• Text-to-video generation
• Image-to-video workflows
• Video editing
• Scene creation
• Visual storytelling
• AI-assisted filmmaking
• Creative experimentation

Google’s current Flow ecosystem also includes more advanced editing and workflow capabilities rather than stopping at simple generation.

Google AI Music and Audio Tools

What Is Lyria?

Lyria is Google’s generative music and audio model family.

Google currently lists Lyria among its AI models for high-fidelity music and audio generation.

The technology is also becoming part of Google’s creative applications.

Google Flow Music

Google introduced Flow Music as part of the Flow family, using its newer Lyria models for music creation. Google says Flow Music is aimed at artists, producers and songwriters.

Google has also highlighted Lyria inside Gemini for creating custom soundtracks.

This gives Google’s AI ecosystem a creative stack covering more than text, images and video.

Gemini Live and Google’s AI Voice Features

What Is Gemini Live?

Gemini Live is Google’s conversational AI experience designed for more natural voice interaction.

Instead of typing every request, you can have a spoken conversation with Gemini.

Supported experiences can also make use of visual input.

Can Gemini See Your Camera?

On supported devices and experiences, Gemini can use camera input to understand what you’re showing it.

For example, you might point your camera at an object and ask Gemini what you’re looking at or ask for help with what is happening in front of you.

Google currently highlights “Talk with Gemini about anything you see” as one of its Gemini Android experiences.

Can Gemini See Your Screen?

Supported Gemini experiences can also work with screen-sharing functionality.

That can make the assistant useful for situations where describing what is on your screen would be more difficult than simply showing it.

The exact features available depend on the device, application and account.

Gemini Canvas

What Is Gemini Canvas?

Gemini Canvas is a workspace inside Gemini for creating and working with structured content.

It can go beyond an ordinary chat response.

Google currently highlights Canvas use cases including:

• Web pages
• Infographics
• Quizzes
• Audio Overviews
• Applications
• Code

Google’s current AI product page also demonstrates Canvas being used to generate, optimize and preview code.

Can Gemini Canvas Build Websites and Apps?

Canvas can generate code and interactive experiences from natural-language instructions.

For simple prototypes, this can be a useful way to move from an idea to something you can see and interact with.

For more serious application development, however, Google AI Studio provides a more developer-focused environment.

Google AI Tools for Students

Google has increasingly built AI features specifically around learning.

Gemini for Studying

Gemini can help students:

• Explain difficult concepts
• Break down complex subjects
• Generate practice questions
• Summarize material
• Brainstorm assignments
• Explore topics

Google’s current student-focused AI experiences include Guided Learning, designed to help students work through subjects rather than simply receive an answer.

Gemini Notebook for Research

For students working with research papers, notes and other source material, Gemini Notebook can be particularly useful.

Instead of asking a general chatbot to answer from its broad knowledge, students can organize their own materials and explore them through a source-grounded research workflow.

Google has specifically highlighted Notebook as a way for students to dive deeper into research questions and transform source material into different learning formats.

Google Lens for Homework Help

Google also uses AI through Lens to provide step-by-step assistance with certain homework questions.

Google currently highlights Google Lens as a student tool for step-by-step homework help.

The important distinction is that these tools are most useful when they help someone understand the material rather than simply produce something to submit.

Google AI Tools for Work and Business

Google’s AI ecosystem is also becoming a workplace platform.

Gemini for Work

Gemini can assist with tasks such as:

• Drafting
• Summarizing
• Research
• Brainstorming
• Data analysis
• Document work
• Meeting assistance

Gemini in Google Workspace

Google has integrated AI capabilities into products such as:

• Gmail
• Docs
• Sheets
• Slides
• Meet

Google’s current AI product ecosystem highlights AI-powered Workspace features, including document creation, spreadsheet assistance and AI meeting notes.

For someone who already works inside Google Workspace, these integrations can matter more than having a separate AI chatbot.

Google AI for Business

Google also offers business-focused AI products, including Gemini Enterprise, alongside its broader AI development and agent infrastructure.

The business ecosystem is increasingly about connecting AI to the information and workflows an organization already uses.

Google AI Agents

AI agents are one of the biggest changes happening across Google’s ecosystem.

What Are Google AI Agents?

A traditional chatbot waits for a prompt and produces an answer.

An AI agent is designed to perform a more complex sequence of actions using tools, information and defined permissions.

That could mean researching information, monitoring something, analyzing data or helping execute a workflow.

Google’s current AI product ecosystem includes agent-oriented capabilities in Search, Gemini and its developer platform.

Search Information Agents

Google is developing information agents in Search that can work on ongoing information tasks.

Google currently describes these as agents that can work continuously, analyze data and help users take action.

That represents a significant shift in the idea of Search.

Instead of:

“Search this for me.”

the request can become closer to:

“Keep track of this information and help me act on it.”

Gemini Agents

Google is also developing personal and task-oriented agent experiences around Gemini.

For developers, Google provides agent-building infrastructure through its AI development stack.

What Can Google AI Agents Automate?

Depending on the specific product and permissions, agent-based systems can help with:

• Research
• Information monitoring
• Data analysis
• Software development
• Business workflows
• Personal organization

Agent capabilities are still highly product-specific, so it’s important not to assume that every Google AI agent can perform every task.

Google AI Plans and Pricing

One of the most common questions about Google AI is whether the tools are free.

The answer is some are, while others have paid access, usage limits or plan-specific capabilities.

Because Google changes product availability, limits and subscription benefits, exact pricing should be checked against Google’s current plan information before subscribing.

Which Google AI Tools Are Free?

Some Google AI experiences provide free access.

Other capabilities may require a paid Google AI plan, and free users can have different limits from subscribers.

Access can also vary by:

• Country
• Age
• Account type
• Device
• Product
• Feature availability

So “Google AI is free” is too broad a statement to be useful.

Google AI Plus

Google AI Plus is one of Google’s consumer AI subscription tiers.

It provides access to additional AI capabilities compared with Google’s free experiences.

Google AI Pro

Google AI Pro is a higher-level consumer AI subscription that provides additional access and higher limits across supported Google AI products.

For example, Google says Pro users receive higher Deep Research limits and can use the Pro model for Deep Research reports.

Google AI Ultra

Google AI Ultra is Google’s higher-end consumer AI subscription tier.

It provides additional access to advanced AI capabilities, higher limits and selected premium features.

For Deep Research specifically, Google says Ultra users can generate reports with the Pro model and receive higher research limits. Ultra reports can also include visuals such as charts, diagrams, schematics and interactive simulators.

Google AI Pro vs Ultra

The important differences can include:

• Available models
• Usage limits
• Creative-generation capabilities
• Research limits
• Storage
• Access to newer features
• Product integrations

Because these benefits can change, it’s better to compare the plans using Google’s current pricing page rather than relying on an old feature list.

Which Google AI Tool Should You Use?

There isn’t one Google AI tool that is designed to replace everything else.

The better question is: what are you trying to accomplish?

This is why understanding the ecosystem is more useful than simply asking which Google AI tool is “best.”

How to Get Started With Google AI

If you’re new to Google’s AI ecosystem, you don’t need to learn every product at once.

Start with Gemini

Begin with Gemini if you want a general-purpose AI assistant.

Try ordinary tasks first: ask questions, summarize information, brainstorm ideas or analyze something you’re working on.

Try AI Mode

If your normal workflow starts with Google Search, explore AI Mode for more conversational and complex searches.

Use Deep Research for bigger questions

When a question requires multiple sources and a more substantial investigation, Deep Research is designed for that purpose. Google says it can use Search, connected Gmail or Drive sources, uploaded files and NotebookLM notebooks.

Use Gemini Notebook for source-heavy work

If you have your own collection of documents, notes, websites or videos, Gemini Notebook is a better fit for a source-centered research workflow.

Move to AI Studio when you want to build

If you’re no longer just using AI and want to create an AI-powered application, that’s where Google AI Studio and the Gemini API become relevant.

Frequently Asked Questions About Google AI Tools

What Is Google AI?

Google AI is the broader ecosystem of Google’s artificial-intelligence products, features, models, developer tools and research.

What Is Google’s AI Called?

Gemini is Google’s main general-purpose AI assistant, but Google AI includes many other products and models, including AI Mode, Gemini Notebook, Veo, Nano Banana, Lyria and Google AI Studio.

Is Google AI the Same as Gemini?

No. Gemini is one major Google AI product. Google AI refers to the wider ecosystem.

Are Google AI Tools Free?

Some Google AI tools and features have free access, while other capabilities require paid plans or have different usage limits.

What Can Google Gemini Do?

Gemini can help with questions, writing, analysis, research, coding and multimodal tasks, with capabilities varying by product, model, device and account.

What Is Google AI Mode?

AI Mode is Google’s conversational AI experience within Search, designed for more complex questions and continued exploration.

What Are Google AI Overviews?

AI Overviews are AI-generated summaries that can appear within Google Search for relevant queries.

What Is Gemini Notebook?

Gemini Notebook is Google’s research-focused AI notebook, formerly known as NotebookLM. Google says it remains a standalone research product while becoming more integrated with Gemini and Search.

What Is Google AI Studio Used For?

Google AI Studio is a development environment for building applications with Google’s AI models.

Can Google AI Create Images?

Yes. Google’s AI ecosystem includes image-generation and editing capabilities through products and models such as Gemini and Nano Banana.

Can Google AI Create Videos?

Yes. Google’s video-generation ecosystem includes Veo, while Flow provides a broader creative and filmmaking environment.

Can Google AI Build Apps?

Yes. Google AI Studio can help developers build interactive AI-powered applications, including applications created from natural-language instructions.

Can Google AI Write Code?

Yes. Google’s AI development ecosystem includes AI Studio, Gemini Code Assist and Antigravity.

Can Google AI Do Research?

Yes. Gemini Deep Research is specifically designed for in-depth research and can use Google Search and other supported sources.

What Is Google Veo?

Veo is Google’s generative video model family.

What Is Google Flow?

Google Flow is an AI creative studio for video and image generation and editing, with increasingly advanced creative workflows and agents.

What Is Gemini Live?

Gemini Live is Google’s conversational voice experience that can also use supported visual inputs such as camera and screen sharing.

What Is Google AI Pro?

Google AI Pro is a paid consumer AI subscription tier that provides additional capabilities and higher limits across supported Google AI products.

What Is Google AI Ultra?

Google AI Ultra is Google’s higher-end consumer AI plan with access to additional advanced capabilities and higher limits.

Google’s AI Ecosystem Is Becoming One Connected Platform

The easiest way to understand Google AI in 2026 is to stop thinking of it as a collection of unrelated chatbots and start thinking of it as an ecosystem.

Gemini provides the general-purpose assistant. AI Mode brings conversational AI into Search. Deep Research handles longer investigations. Gemini Notebook gives users a source-centered research environment. AI Studio and the Gemini API let developers build with Google’s models. And products such as Nano Banana, Veo, Flow and Lyria extend Google’s AI capabilities into images, video, filmmaking and music.

That structure also explains why there isn’t one Google AI tool for every job.

If you want an answer, start with Gemini.

If you want to explore the web conversationally, look at AI Mode.

If you need a deeper investigation, use Deep Research.

If your information already exists in a collection of sources, Gemini Notebook makes more sense.

If you want to build software, move toward AI Studio and the Gemini API.

And if you’re creating media, Google’s ecosystem now reaches from image generation through Nano Banana to video with Veo and Flow, and music with Lyria.

The result is a Google AI ecosystem that is becoming less about one AI assistant and more about choosing the right AI capability for the job.

Explore the Google AI Ecosystem Further

This are connect to deeper supporting guides as:

• Google Gemini Complete Guide
• Google AI Mode Complete Guide
• Google AI Overviews Explained
• Gemini Deep Research Complete Guide
• Gemini Notebook Complete Guide
• Google AI Studio Complete Guide
• Google AI Coding Tools
• Google AI Image Generator Guide
• Google AI Video Generator: Veo Guide
• Google Flow Complete Guide
• Google AI Music Generator: Lyria Guide
• Gemini Live Complete Guide
• Google AI for Students
• Google AI for Business
• Google AI Agents Guide
• Google AI Plans: Plus, Pro and Ultra
• Gemini vs ChatGPT