Google wants AI helpers to book, buy and fill out forms for you

Google plans to let AI helpers book reservations, fill out forms and schedule appointments for people. CEO Sundar Pichai said on Alphabet's earnings call on Wednesday, Oct. 28, that these helpers will reach consumers later this year, starting with the 1 billion users of the Gemini app.

What changed

These helpers are called agents. They do tasks for you instead of just answering questions. Google built them first for business customers, because those customers demand strong security and oversight. Pichai said the same experience is now coming to consumers. He said agents will act as a unifying layer across Chrome, Android and Workspace, alongside Search and Gemini.

How shopping fits in

Chief Business Officer Philipp Schindler said Google's Universal Commerce Protocol, a shared set of rules for checkout, already supports direct checkout for hundreds of thousands of brands. Chewy, Nike and Tapestry are among them. Google is pairing it with the Agent Payments Protocol. It also launched Universal Cart, which Schindler said helps stores keep customer relationships and cut abandoned purchases.

Google does not expect people to hand over every decision. Schindler said shoppers weigh things like brand loyalty and customer service, not just price. His example was insurance. An agent could show competing products and explain differences in deductibles or discounts. Google sees room for advertising in those comparisons.

The money behind it

The plans come with a big price tag. Alphabet spent $51.4 billion on capital investments in the quarter and had negative free cash flow of $9.1 billion. Free cash flow is the cash left after running the business and paying for investments. Revenue rose 25% to $127.6 billion, and Google Cloud revenue more than doubled to $30.7 billion. Net income fell to $26.2 billion from $35 billion.

The CFO kept 2026 spending guidance at $195 billion to $205 billion and said spending would rise significantly in 2027. Agents give investors a concrete picture of what that spending could deliver.

Who it affects

• Shoppers could soon ask an AI helper to compare options and complete a purchase.
• Online sellers may find customers buying through Google's helpers instead of visiting their sites.
• Sellers should check that their products and checkout can work with these helpers.

What is not known yet

Google gave only a loose timeline of later this year. The material does not say which tasks will launch first, what controls shoppers will get or whether stores will pay any fees. It also does not say how well the helpers will work in everyday use.