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Google is rapidly expanding its AI search capabilities, as reflected in the announcements it made Tuesday at its Google I/O developer conference. The search giant announced the general availability of AI Mode, its chatbot-format AI search product; some changes to its AI Overviews search results; and its plans to add new visual and agentic search features this summer. Googles biggest announcement in the realm of search was the general availability of its AI Mode, a chatbot-style search interface that allows users to enter a back-and-forth with the underlying large language model to zero in on a complete and satisfying answer. AI Mode is really our most powerful version of AI search, Robby Stein, Google’s VP of Product for Search, tells Fast Company. The tool had been available as an experimental product from Google Labs. Now its a real product, available to all users and accessible within various Google apps, and as a tab within the Google mobile app. AI Mode is powered by Gemini 2.5, Googles most formidable model, which was developed by DeepMind. The model can remember a lot of data during a user interaction, and can reason its way to a responsive answer. Because of this, AI Mode can be used for more complex, multipart queries. We’re seeing this being used for the more sophisticated set of questions people have, Stein says. You have math questions, you have how-to questions, you want to compare two productslike many things that haven’t been done before, that are probably unique to you. The user gets back a conversational AI answer synthesized from a variety of sources. The main magic of the system is this new advanced modeling capability for AI Mode, something called a query fan-out where the model has learned to use Google, Stein says. It generates potentially dozens of queries off of your single question. The LLM might make data calls to the web, indexes of web data, maps and location data, product information, as well as API connections to more dynamic data such as sports scores, weather, or stock prices. New shopping tools Google also introduced some new shopping features in AI Mode that leverage the multimodal and reasoning capabilities of the Gemini 2.5 models. Google indexes millions of products, along with prices and other information. The agentic capability of the Gemini model lets AI Mode keep an eye out for a product the user wants, with the right set of desired features and below a price threshold that the user sets. The AI can then alert the user with the information, as well as a button that says buy for me. If the user clicks it the agent will complete the purchase. Google is also releasing a virtual clothing try-on function in AI Mode. The feature addresses perhaps the biggest problem with buying and selling apparel online. Its a problem that we’ve been trying to solve over the last few years, says Lilian Rincon, VP of Consumer Shopping Products. Which is this dilemma of [where] users see a product but they don’t know what that product will look like on them. Virtual Try-on lets a user upload a photo of themself, then the AI shows the user what theyd look like in any of the billions of clothing products Google indexes. The feature is powered by a new custom image generation model for fashion that understands the nuances of the human body and how various fabrics fold and bend over the body type of the user, Rincon says. Google has released Virtual Try-on as an experimental feature in Google Labs. New features coming to AI Mode this summer Google says it intends to roll out further enhancements to AI Mode over the summer. For starters, it’s adding the functionality of its previously announced Project Mariner (an AI agent prototype that works with the Chrome browser) to AI Mode. So the LLM will be able to control the users web browser to access information from websites, fill out and submit forms, and use websites to plan and book tasks. Google is going to start by enabling the AI to do things like book event tickets, make restaurant reservations, and set appointments for local services. The user can give the AI agent special instructions or conditions, such as buy tickets only if less than $100, and only if the weather (if its an outdoor event) forecast looks good. The AI will not only find the best ticket prices to a show, but will also submit the data needed to buy the ticket for the user. (The user gets final sign-off, of course.) Google will be adding a new deep search function in which the model might access, and reason about, hundreds of online, indexed, or AI data sources. The model might spend several minutes thinking through the completeness of its answer, and perhaps make additional data queries. The end result is a comprehensive research report on a given topic. At last years I/O, Google revealed its Project Astra, a prototype of a universal AI assistant that can see, hear, and reason, and converse with the user, out loud, in real time. The assistant taps into search in several ways. A user could show the assistant an object in front of the phone camera and ask for more information about it, which the agent would get from the web. Or the assistant might be shown a recipe, and help the user shop for the ingredients. Google also plans to launch enhanced personalization features to AI search as a way of delivering more relevant search results. The best version of search is one that knows you well, Stein says. For example, AI Mode and AI Overviews soon might consult a users search history to use past preferences to inform the content of current queries. Thats not all. Google also intends to consult user data from other Google services, including Gmail, to inform searches, subject to user opt-in. Finally, the company will add data visualizations to search results, which it believes will help users draw meaning from data returned in search results. It will start by modeling sports and financial data this summer, Stein says. AI Overviews now reaches almost all Google users AI Overviews is Googles original AI search experience. For some types of search queries, users see an AI-generated narrative summary of information synthesized from various web documents and Googles information graphs. Stein says Google is now making AI Overviews available to 95 more countries and territories, bringing the total to around 200, and in 40 languages. Google claims that AI Overviews, its generative AI search experience, now has 1.5 billion users. Where search is concerned, Google is a victim of the inventors dilemma. It built a massive business placing ads around its search results, so it has a good reason to keep optimizing and improving that experience, rather than pivoting toward new AI-based search, which nobody has reliably monetized with ads yet. Indeed Googles core experience still consists of relatively short queries and results consisting of ranked websites and an assortment of Google-owned content. But development of AI search products and functions seems to be accelerating. Google is protecting its cash cow (traditiona search with ads) while keeping pace with the chatbot search experiences offered by newcomers like OpenAIs ChatGPT. But its more than that. Googles VP and Head of Search Liz Reid suggests that we may be looking at the future of Google Searchfull stop. I think one of the things that’s very exciting with AI Mode is not just that it is our cutting-edge AI search, but it becomes a glimpse of what we think can be more broadly available, Reid tells Fast Company. And so our current belief is that we’re going to take the things that work really well in AI Mode and bring them right to the core of search and AI Overviews.
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and health officials in several states are investigating a multistate Salmonella infection outbreak linked to whole cucumbers grown in Florida and shipped around the country. As a result of the ongoing investigation, health officials have recalled whole cucumbers grown by Bedner Growers Inc. and distributed by Fresh Start Produce Inc. between April 29, 2025, and May 19, 2025. As of Monday, 26 people have been infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella. Cases have been reported in 15 states. Nine people have been hospitalized; no deaths have been reported. Several people reported feeling ill after being on cruises that departed from Florida. Which products were impacted? The outbreak is linked to whole, nonorganic varieties. Cucumbers may have been sold individually or in smaller packages and may be within shelf life for the rest of this week. Cucumbers were distributed to stores, restaurants, and other facilities. The FDA is working to determine where potentially contaminated products were distributed. Businesses that purchased whole cucumbers grown by Bedner Growers Inc. and distributed by Fresh Start Produce Inc. between April 29 and May 19 should not sell or serve them and should notify their customers of the potential health concern, health officials said. Illnesses were reported in the following states: Alabama California Colorado Florida Illinois Kansas Kentucky Michigan New York North Carolina Ohio Pennsylvania South Carolina Tennessee Virginia Additional information regarding the outbreak can be found here. What if I bought whole cucumbers recently? If you have whole cucumbers at home and don’t know where theyre from, throw them out. You should also wash and sanitize surfaces and items that they may have come in contact with. If you experience severe symptoms of Salmonella, such as diarrhea and a fever higher than 102°F, or diarrhea that doesn’t improve after three days, contact a healthcare provider. Most people recover within a few days. Why does this sound familiar? This is not the first time that produce grown by Bedner Growers, Inc. has been linked to a Salmonella outbreak. A 2024 investigation found that cucumbers from Bedner Growers, Inc. and Thomas Produce Company, of Boca Raton, Florida, were likely sources of a Salmonella outbreak that resulted in 551 illnesses across 34 states and the District of Columbia. As part of a follow-up investigation, the FDA said it collected an environmental sample from Bedner Growers, Inc. in April 2025. The sample was positive for Salmonella and matched recent clinical samples of sick individuals impacted by the current outbreak. Fast Company has reached out to Bedner Growers for comment. We will update this post if we receive a response.
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On April 14, 2025, Blue Origin launched six womenAisha Bowe, Amanda Nguyn, Gayle King, Katy Perry, Kerianne Flynn and Lauren Sánchezon a suborbital journey to the edge of space. The headlines called it a historic moment for women in space. But as a tourism educator, I pausednot because I questioned their experience, but because I questioned the language. Were they astronauts or space tourists? The distinction mattersnot just for accuracy, but for understanding how experience, symbolism and motivation shape travel today. In tourism studies, my colleagues and I often ask what motivates travel and makes it a meaningful experience. These women crossed a boundary by leaving Earths surface. But they also stepped into a controversy about a symbolic one: the blurred line between astronaut and tourist, between scientific achievement and curated experience. This flight wasnt just about the altitude they flew toit was about what it meant. As commercial space travel becomes more accessible to civilians, more people are joining spaceflights not as scientists or mission specialists, but as invited guests or paying participants. The line between astronaut and space tourist is becoming increasingly blurred. In my own work, I explore how travelers find meaning in the way their journeys are framed. A tourism studies perspective can help unpack how experiences like the Blue Origin flight are designed, marketed and ultimately understood by travelers and the tourism industry. So, were these passengers astronauts? Not in the traditional sense. They werent selected through NASAs rigorous training protocols, nor were they conducting research or exploration in orbit. Instead, they belong to a new category: space tourists. These are participants in a crafted, symbolic journey that reflects how commercial spaceflight is redefining what it means to go to space. Space tourism as a niche market Space tourism has its origins in 1986 with the launch of the Mir space station, which later became the first orbital platform to host nonprofessional astronauts. In the 1990s and early 2000s, Mir and its successor, the International Space Station, welcomed a handful of privately funded civilian guestsmost notably U.S. businessman Dennis Tito in 2001, often cited as the first space tourist. Space tourism has since evolved into a niche market selling brief encounters to the edge of Earths atmosphere. While passengers on the NS-31 flight did not purchase their seats, the experience mirrors those sold by commercial space tourism providers such as Virgin Galactic. Like other forms of niche tourismwellness retreats, heritage trails or extreme adventuresspace travel appeals to those drawn to novelty, exclusivity and status, regardless of whether they purchased the ticket. These suborbital flights may last just minutes, but they offer something far more lasting: prestige, personal storytelling and the feeling of participating in something rare. Space tourism sells the experience of being somewhere few have visited, not the destination itself. For many, even a 10-minute flight can fulfill a deeply personal milestone. Tourist motivation and space tourisms evolution The push-and-pull theory in tourism studies helps explain why people might want to pursue space travel. Push factorsinternal desires such as curiosity, an urge to escape or an eagerness to gain famespark interest. Pull factorsexternal elements such as wishing to see the view of Earth from above or experience the sensation of weightlessnessenhance the appeal. Space tourism taps into both. Its fueled by the internal drive to do something extraordinary and the external attraction of a highly choreographed, emotional experience. These flights are often brandednot necessarily with flashy logos, but through storytelling and design choices that make the experience feel iconic. For example, while the New Shepard rocket the women traveled in doesnt carry a separate emblem, it features the companys name, Blue Origin, in bold letters along the side. Passengers wear personalized flight suits, pose for preflight photos and receive mission patches or certificates, all designed to echo the rituals of professional space missions. Whats being sold is an astronaut-for-a-day experience: emotionally powerful, visually compelling and rich with symbolism. But under tourism classifications, these travelers are space touristsparticipants in a curated, short-duration excursion. Representation and marketing experience The image from the Blue Origin flight of six women boarding a rocket was framed as a symbolic victorya girl-power moment designed for visibility and celebrationbut it was also carefully curated. This wasnt the first time women entered space. Since its inception, NASA has selected 61 women as astronaut candidates, many of them making groundbreaking contributions to space science and exploration. Sally Ride, Mae Jemison, Christina Koch and Jessica Meir not only entered spacethey trained as astronauts and contributed significantly to science, engineering and long-duration missions. Their journeys marked historic achievements in space exploration rather than curated moments in tourism. Recognizing their legacy is important as commercial spaceflight creates new kinds of unique, tailored experiences, ones shaped more by media performance than by scientific milestones. The Blue Origin flight was not a scientific mission but rather was framed as a symbolic event. In tourism, companies, marketers and media outlets often create these performances to maximize their visibility. SpaceX has taken a similar approach with its Inspiration4 mission, turning a private orbital flight into a global media event complete wit a Netflix documentary and emotional storytelling. The Blue Origin flight sold a feeling of progress while blending the roles between astronaut and guest. For Blue Origin, the symbolic value was significant. By launching the first all-female crew into suborbital space, the company was able to claim a historic milestoneone that aligned them with inclusionwithout the cost, complexity or risk associated with a scientific mission. In doing so, they generated enormous media attention. Tourism education and media literacy In todays world, space travel is all about the story that gets told about the flight. From curated visuals to social media posts and press coverage, much of the experiences meaning is shaped by marketing and media. Understanding that process mattersnot just for scholars or industry insiders, but for members of the public, who follow these trips through the narratives produced by the companies marketing teams and media outlets. Another theory in tourism studies describes how destinations evolve over timefrom exploration, to development, to mass adoption. Many forms of tourism begin in an exploration phase, accessible only to the wealthy or well connected. For example, the Grand Tour of Europe was once a rite of passage for aristocrats. Its legacy helped shape and develop modern travel. Right now, space tourism is in the exploration stage. Its expensive, exclusive and available only to a few. Theres limited infrastructure to support it, and companies are still experimenting with what the experience should look like. This isnt mass tourism yet, its more like a high-profile playground for early adopters, drawing media attention and curiosity with every launch. Advances in technology, economic shifts and changing cultural norms can increase access to unique destinations that start as out of bounds to a majority of tourists. Space tourism could be the next to evolve this way in the tourism industry. How its framed nowwho gets to go, how the participants are labeled and how their stories are toldwill set the tone moving forward. Understanding these trips helps people see how society packages and sells an inspirational experience long before most people can afford to join the journey. Betsy Pudliner is an associate professor of hospitality and technology innovation at the University of Wisconsin-Stout. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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