The three men began their climb at about 3am but reached the summit at around 7pm, several hours after the recommended turnaround time for hikers who have not reached the top by noon.

They then attempted to descend the mountain in darkness before contacting the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office for assistance.

The hikers eventually spent the night in Mud Creek Canyon and were rescued the following morning by Forest Service rangers and volunteers.

According to a report from the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office, Gemini had advised the group to carry substantially less food and water than they ultimately needed.

The planned eight-hour ascent subsequently turned into a multiday ordeal, leaving the hikers without adequate supplies for the extended trip.

The incident has highlighted concerns about relying on generative AI for safety-critical travel decisions, particularly in environments where conditions can change rapidly and local knowledge is essential.

The sheriff’s office said travellers should contact the local US Forest Service Mount Shasta Ranger Station before beginning similar expeditions to obtain the most accurate and current information.

“It is always advisable to call the local USFS Mount Shasta ranger station ahead of your trip to ensure you have the most accurate information, and to never rely solely on AI for your trip planning,” the office said.

The incident does not establish that Gemini was solely responsible for the hikers’ decisions, but it underscores the limitations of AI-generated advice when used without verification from qualified local authorities.

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Chief Executive Officer Sundar Pichai announced the milestone on Tuesday, revealing that Gemini is now Google’s 14th product to exceed one billion monthly users.

The achievement brings Gemini in line with OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which reached the same milestone in June.

Google has been expanding Gemini across its ecosystem, integrating the AI assistant into Search, Workspace, Android and its standalone mobile app. However, the company clarified that the latest milestone refers only to the standalone Gemini app and excludes users accessing Gemini through other Google products.

Google also highlighted growing user engagement, noting that 63% of Gemini users interact with the chatbot using its voice feature.

The company added that Gemini now generates more than 150 million AI images daily and has attracted more than 100 million active users on iOS.

The announcement follows Google’s second-quarter earnings report, which showed Gemini had already exceeded 950 million monthly users, with daily active users tripling over the past year.

Google is expected to unveil additional Gemini-powered features during its upcoming Made by Google event.

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The technology is being rolled out to Google Translate, Google Meet and Google’s developer platforms, enabling users to communicate more naturally across language barriers.

Unlike traditional voice translation systems that wait for speakers to finish before generating translations, Gemini 3.5 Live Translate processes speech as it is spoken and continuously delivers translated audio. Google said the model automatically detects languages and preserves the speaker’s tone, pacing and intonation to create a more natural conversational experience.

The feature is now available globally through the Google Translate app on Android and iOS devices. Developers can access the technology through the Gemini Live API and Google AI Studio, while selected Google Workspace customers will begin testing the feature in Google Meet through a private preview programme.

Google said the model can operate effectively in noisy environments and handle multilingual conversations without requiring users to manually configure language settings. The company expects the technology to be useful for meetings, classrooms, customer support interactions and live broadcasts.

Alongside the launch, Google also introduced Listening Mode in the Google Translate app, allowing users to listen to translated speech privately through their phone’s earpiece without requiring headphones.

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Previously limited to paid subscribers, the feature now appears as a dedicated section within the Gemini interface, allowing users to organise content, store conversations, and manage research materials in a single workspace.

The Notebooks function is based on capabilities from NotebookLM and enables users to generate outputs such as summaries, infographics, and video-style overviews from collected sources.

Google said the feature is designed to act as a “personal knowledge base,” helping users consolidate files, chats, and references for long-term projects and research.

Within a notebook, users can access saved conversations and sources, while Gemini can draw context from all stored materials to provide more informed responses. There is also an option to disable this memory feature for more isolated interactions.

Free users can include up to 50 sources per notebook, while higher-tier plans offer expanded limits of up to 600 sources.

The feature is currently available on desktop, with mobile and Mac support expected in the coming weeks as Google continues to refine the experience.

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The feature, called Ask Maps, is powered by Google’s AI model Google Gemini and enables users to ask complex, real-world questions about locations, travel routes and nearby services.

Ask Maps is currently rolling out in English across the United States and India on Android and iOS devices, with support for Hindi expected to follow soon.

According to Google, the feature draws insights from information on more than 300 million places worldwide, alongside reviews contributed by over 500 million users.

Users can access the tool by tapping the “Ask Maps” button and entering questions via voice or text.

The system can provide directions, travel comparisons between driving and public transport, and estimated travel times based on real-time traffic conditions. It can also recommend nearby cafes, restaurants and other attractions.

Google said the conversational interface is designed to simplify complex planning tasks. For example, users can ask for places to watch a sports match while offering vegetarian appetisers, or request recommendations for accessible tourist attractions for elderly visitors.

Ask Maps also personalises suggestions based on a user’s previous searches and saved locations. A person who frequently searches for vegetarian food, for instance, may see restaurant recommendations that prioritise vegetarian options.

The company said users can also book reservations, save places to lists, or start navigation directly from the responses generated by the AI system.

The launch reflects Google’s broader push to integrate generative AI into its core consumer services, transforming traditional search and mapping tools into conversational digital assistants.

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The company said the new automations enable users to assign certain tasks directly to Gemini, which can carry them out within supported apps. Initially, the feature will support select food, grocery and rideshare applications.

However, the rollout is limited. The beta feature will be available only within the Gemini app on specific devices, including the Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S26 series, and will initially launch in the United States and South Korea.

Google said users must explicitly initiate automations, and the process can be monitored in real time. Tasks can be stopped if errors occur. The company added that automations run in a secure, virtual environment with restricted app access, preventing broader access to personal data stored on the device.

The update reflects a broader industry trend toward AI-powered personal assistants capable of managing everyday tasks. Several technology firms have introduced AI agents designed to handle scheduling, document management and other digital workflows.

Google also expanded its Scam Detection feature for phone calls. The feature is now available on Samsung Galaxy S26 series devices in the United States and is already offered on Pixel devices in markets including the U.S., Australia, Canada, India, Ireland and the United Kingdom. Gemini’s on-device model is also being used to detect scam text messages in the U.S., Canada and the U.K. on Pixel 10 devices, with support for Galaxy S26 devices expected soon.

In addition, Google updated its Circle to Search feature, allowing users to identify multiple objects on their phone screens simultaneously. The tool, which previously focused on single items, can now search for all visible objects within a selected area.

Google has continued to roll out Gemini enhancements through regular Android updates and Pixel feature releases, as competition intensifies in the AI-powered mobile ecosystem.

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The restrictions follow reports from affected users that their access to advanced models such as Gemini 2.5 Pro — and in some cases linked services including Gmail and Google Workspace — was abruptly blocked without warning.

Varun Mohan, a former CEO of Windsurf and engineer with Google DeepMind, said a “massive increase” in malicious activity on the backend of Google’s AI coding platform Antigravity prompted the enforcement action.

“We’ve been seeing a massive increase in malicious usage of the Antigravity backend that has tremendously degraded the quality of service for our users,” Mohan wrote in a post on social media platform X on Monday, February 23.

Mohan said Google detected that some users were accessing protected models via third-party tools such as OpenClaw, an open-source AI agent framework that can automate tasks such as email handling, flight check-ins and insurer interactions — activities that potentially conflict with Google’s terms of service.

“We needed to find a path to quickly shut off access to these users that are not using the product as intended,” Mohan said. He noted that some users may have been unaware that their actions violated Google’s ToS and suggested the company would provide a route for compliant users to regain access.

OpenClaw drew rapid attention after its November 2025 release, amassing more than 100,000 stars on software repository GitHub and drawing millions of visitors. However, agentic AI tools like OpenClaw have also attracted scrutiny, including warnings from China’s industry ministry that they could pose security risks when improperly configured.

In a similar move last week, AI developer Anthropic updated its consumer terms of service to explicitly ban the use of OAuth tokens obtained through Claude Free, Pro or Max accounts in third-party tools, including agent SDKs.

Commenting on Google’s approach, Peter Steinberger, creator of the OpenClaw framework, called the restrictions “draconian” and said he will remove support for Antigravity. He contrasted Google’s stance with Anthropic’s more collaborative approach to addressing compliance issues.

Earlier this month, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced that Steinberger would join the ChatGPT maker to “drive the next generation of personal agents,” with OpenClaw living on as an open-source project under a foundation supported by the company.

The account restrictions highlight growing tensions in the AI space as major providers tighten controls over how their models are accessed and integrated into third-party systems, even as developers push the boundaries of agent-based automation.

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The figure, disclosed in Alphabet’s fourth-quarter 2025 earnings report, represents a sharp increase from the 650 million users reported in the previous quarter. The growth places Gemini ahead of Meta AI, which has about 500 million monthly users, but still slightly behind OpenAI’s ChatGPT, estimated to have around 810 million users by late 2025.

Google attributed the surge partly to the launch of Gemini 3, its most advanced AI model to date. Chief executive Sundar Pichai described the rollout of Gemini 3 in AI mode as a “positive driver” of adoption, adding that continued investment and rapid iteration would sustain growth.

The company has also introduced a lower-priced subscription plan, Google AI Plus, costing $7.99 per month, aimed at expanding Gemini’s reach among price-sensitive users. While the plan was launched too recently to affect the latest quarterly figures, executives expect it to support future growth.

“We are focused on a free tier and subscriptions and seeing great growth,” Google’s chief business officer Philipp Schindler told investors.

Gemini’s expansion comes as Alphabet surpassed $400 billion in annual revenue for the first time, buoyed by rising demand for AI services. Google said its AI models now process more than 10 billion tokens per minute via direct API usage, while AI-driven features continue to boost engagement across Search and other products.

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The update enables users to move seamlessly from an overview into AI Mode, Google’s conversational search experience designed for more complex queries. The company said the change is aimed at making Search more interactive and less reliant on static lists of links.

Google also announced that Gemini 3 will become the default model powering AI Overviews globally. In a blog post, the company said the upgrade would deliver higher-quality AI responses directly on the search results page.

“People come to Search for an incredibly wide range of questions,” said Robby Stein, vice president of product for Google Search. “For complex questions or tasks where you need to explore a topic deeply, you should be able to seamlessly tap into a powerful conversational AI experience.”

Google said internal testing shows users prefer a conversational flow that allows them to ask follow-up questions while preserving context from the original AI Overview. The new experience is designed as a single interaction, with links that let users move from brief summaries to deeper exploration when needed.

The announcement follows Google’s recent rollout of “Personal Intelligence” in AI Mode, which allows the system to draw on data from services such as Gmail and Google Photos to provide more personalized responses. The feature debuted earlier this month in the Gemini app.

Separately, Google has expanded AI Overviews to Gmail, allowing users to search their inbox using natural language as part of a broader push to integrate AI across its core products.

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The deal, announced on Monday, gives Google access to Apple’s installed base of more than two billion active devices, marking a significant endorsement of its AI technology. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Google said Apple selected Gemini after an internal evaluation found the models offered the most capable foundation for Apple’s next-generation AI features. In addition to Siri, the models will also support future Apple Intelligence capabilities.

Alphabet had been competing with OpenAI for the deal. Apple previously integrated ChatGPT into its devices in late 2024, allowing Siri to draw on the chatbot for complex queries. Apple said there were no major changes to that integration, while OpenAI declined to comment.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk criticised the agreement, warning it could concentrate excessive power in Google, which already controls Android and the Chrome browser. Musk founded AI startup xAI, which is developing competing foundation models.

Analysts said the partnership shifts OpenAI into a more supporting role within Apple’s ecosystem. Parth Talsania, CEO of Equisights Research, said ChatGPT would likely remain an opt-in tool rather than the default intelligence layer.

The agreement builds on a long-standing relationship between Apple and Google, including a deal that makes Google the default search engine on Apple devices. Alphabet said Apple Intelligence would continue to run on Apple devices and its Private Cloud Compute system, maintaining the company’s privacy standards.

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