Michael Epps Utley {kind=image/jpg}
The search and AI ecosystems are moving at lightning speed—and staying updated is no longer optional for marketers, creators, and business leaders. In just the past week, Google rolled out a major upgrade to Gemini, U.S. regulators turned up the heat on digital ad practices, and new data revealed how users balance their time between ChatGPT and Google.
Each of these developments tells a bigger story: AI investment continues, regulators are demanding transparency, and Google remains the gatekeeper of online discovery. Let’s break down what’s happening and what it means for your digital strategy.
Google Gemini Adds Audio Uploads — A Top User Request
Google Gemini has rolled out one of its most requested features: audio file uploads, according to Search Engine Journal’s Matt G. Southern. Here are some takeaways:
Free-tier users can now upload up to 10 minutes of audio per prompt (with a limit of 5 prompts/day).
Paid plans extend that to three hours of audio per prompt.
This upgrade makes Gemini more versatile for content creators. Podcasts, interviews, or even client calls can now be directly submitted for summaries, quotes, or draft content, streamlining workflows and reducing manual transcription needs.
FTC Investigates Google & Amazon Over Search Advertising Practices
At Reuters, Deborah Sophia and Jody Godoy report that the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is investigating Google and Amazon for potentially misleading advertisers in their search ad businesses.
The probe centers on whether:
Pricing structures were transparent
Reserve pricing and auction terms were properly disclosed
Hidden costs inflated ad prices without advertiser awareness
This marks another chapter in regulatory scrutiny on Big Tech, particularly in the high-stakes digital advertising market.
Nearly All ChatGPT Users Still Visit Google
In a report from Search Engine Land, Danny Goodwin highlights new data from SimilarWeb showing that 95.3% of ChatGPT users also visit Google, while only 14.3% of Google users visit ChatGPT.
The numbers reinforce a crucial point: despite rapid adoption of AI-powered tools, Google remains the dominant entry point for search and discovery. Traditional search still accounts for most referral traffic, making it clear that SEO and Google visibility remain vital for marketers, even as various AI platforms gain prominence.
What This Means for Marketers
These updates underline three big themes shaping digital strategy right now:
AI tools are expanding capabilities fast—Gemini’s audio upload feature, for instance, makes it even more valuable for content creators.
Regulatory scrutiny is intensifying in some ways—while U.S. regulations on Big Tech have loosened in some ways, calls for transparency in digital advertising could soon reshape how brands buy media.
Google still holds the keys to discovery—despite the rise of AI search, Google’s dominance means it can’t be ignored.
For marketers and business leaders, the message is clear: keep experimenting with AI tools, but don’t shift focus away from Google just yet. SEO isn’t dead. Rather, it’s become a key part of the emerging GEO (generative engine optimization). If you want to be found in AI-powered queries, you still need to be visible on Google Search.
