Gemini’s new AI agent is about as good as Google’s demo

Google gave The Verge early access to Gemini Spark, a new AI agent designed to handle multi-step tasks in the background while remaining under user control. The hands-on test found the agent could be surprisingly capable, but its usefulness may depend on whether users accept the financial cost and privacy risks.

Gemini Spark reflects the broader shift from chatbots toward AI agents that can take actions, not just answer questions. Its promise of background task completion could make AI more practical, but trust, oversight, and data access will likely determine mainstream adoption.