For a brief period last year, it seemed that AI-powered gadgets like the Rabbit R1 were going to be the next big thing. People were fascinated by the idea of replacing their smartphones with tiny wearable boxes they could talk to, but unfortunately, these gadgets failed to live up to the hype. They failed for a variety of reasons — like price, redundancy, and utility — but the seeds they planted for a future of fully automated apps stuck around.
These seeds grew into the “agentic AI” trend we see today. Companies are racing to build AI products that can perform tasks on your behalf, like helping you code a new project, booking an appointment, or ordering items online. As one of the leaders in the AI race, Google is also working on its own AI agents, with Gemini in Chrome being its most notable offering.