GOOGLE UNLEASHES GEMINI SPARK: AN AI AGENT THAT WORKS AROUND THE CLOCK, EVEN WHEN YOUR PHONE IS OFF Google just made its boldest move yet to win the personal AI agent race. At its annual I/O developer conference this month, the company unveiled Gemini Spark, a 24/7 autonomous assistant built on Gemini base models that runs on dedicated Google Cloud virtual machines, which means it keeps working even when your laptop or phone is turned off. That is not a minor technical footnote. It is the first time a major consumer AI product operates as a persistent, always-on background agent rather than something that waits for you to ask it something. Sundar Pichai described Spark as the next evolution of the digital assistant, capable of handling complex multi-step tasks with minimal input. Out of the box, it connects directly to Gmail, Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides, and users can expand its reach through MCP integrations with Canva, Instacart, and OpenTable. You can email Spark directly, and it responds and acts on your behalf. Google has one advantage every competitor is scrambling to replicate: it already has your email, your calendar, your documents. Spark turns that data trove into a personal workforce. The agent is rolling out to Google AI Ultra subscribers in the United States next week. The AI race just shifted from chatbots to employees. Keywords: Gemini Spark, Google AI agent, I/O 2026, always-on AI assistant