Google I/O 2026: What is Gemini Spark, the AI assistant that works even when your laptop is off
Follow UsGemini Spark connects with Gmail, Chat and over 30 third-party apps including Uber, OpenTable and Dropbox.
Google says the AI agent can organise emails, prepare summaries and monitor tasks in the background.
The company also introduced AP2 safeguards to control spending permissions and AI-driven transactions.
During the Google I/O 2026, the company introduced Gemini Spark, a new AI-backed assistant that is made for operating like a personal autonomous agent rather than a traditional chatbot. The company stated that Spark is a cloud-based AI system that is capable of continuously working in the background to help users manage emails, schedules, documents, and everyday workflows.
SurveyThe Gemini Spark is backed by Gemini 3.5 and is integrated with Google services such as Gmail and Chat, while also supporting more than 30 third-party platforms through MCP integrations. It includes apps and services such as Adobe, Asana, Dropbox, Lyft, OpenTable, Uber, Zillow, and Zocdoc. The company says the AI can automatically collect information across connected apps, prepare summaries, track customer requests, and organise tasks without requiring constant manual input.
The company has also announced that Spark will use Google’s Antigravity coding IDE infrastructure to support more advanced task execution and workflow management. Google also says that the system is designed to reduce repetitive digital work by handling routine organisational tasks in the background.
To keep the concerns around AI autonomy and spending permissions, Google has announced a new safeguard framework called Agent Payments Protocol (AP2). The system places limits on the purchases, merchants and transaction limits while needing users to approve payments before completion. Google also stated that AP2 will maintain a permanent digital transaction trail for dispute handling and returns.
Google also hinted that Spark’s autonomy will gradually expand over time as the company works on safety controls and user permissions. Coming to availability, Gemini Spark is expected to begin rolling out to Google AI Ultra subscribers in the United States next week, with Gmail and Google Chat integration arriving first.
