Google’s Next Move: A Pinterest-Style Search Overhaul to Fight AI Disruption

At I/O, the search giant bets on visual discovery—and developer tools—to stay ahead

Google is preparing to counter its AI-era existential crisis with a surprising weapon: aesthetics. At its upcoming I/O conference, the company will unveil a Pinterest-like feature for fashion and interior design searches, displaying image grids that users can save into themed folders, according to internal plans. The move signals a shift from text-heavy results to visual discovery as Google battles ChatGPT’s encroachment on commercial queries—a lucrative ad revenue stream it can’t afford to lose.

“This isn’t just about prettier search results. It’s about creating AI-resistant experiences where intent matters more than answers,” says a source familiar with the project.

The feature, internally codenamed “Cosmos” for its resemblance to a scrapped content-clustering tool, lets users curate inspiration boards directly from search. Need a mid-century living room refresh? Save leather sofa options alongside vintage rug finds. The strategy mirrors Pinterest’s sticky user behavior while addressing a glaring weak spot: 18% of product discovery searches now start on AI chatbots, per Morgan Stanley data. Google’s own executives admitted in recent court hearings that it’s already lost homework and math queries to rivals.

Beyond visuals: AI arms race escalates

But the search update is just one piece of Google’s multi-front AI defense. Developers may get a “software development lifecycle agent”—an AI teammate that flags bugs and security gaps in real-time coding sessions. Meanwhile, Gemini, Google’s flagship AI, could debut voice-powered integration for Android XR glasses, turning augmented reality interfaces into conversational assistants. Chrome desktop users might also see Gemini Live features, hinted at in recent browser experiments.

The stakes couldn’t be higher. With 60% of Google’s revenue still tied to search ads, every query siphoned by AI represents a direct threat. By blending Pinterest’s addictiveness with its search dominance, Google bets humans will always crave curation—even as bots get better at spitting out answers. The question is whether aesthetic appeal can buy enough time for its AI to catch up.