$250 for Google’s AI? Here's What You Get

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Hey there! It’s Aaron.

If it feels like everything in tech this week had the word “Google” in it—you’re not wrong.

That’s because Google I/O just happened.

It’s their annual developer conference where they typically announce things like new features, devices, and Android updates.

But this year? It was basically a flex tape ad for everything AI.

From search that thinks to video tools that sync sound like a Pixar intern, Google unveiled a full-on AI ecosystem designed to make you forget competitors even exist. They’re not catching up anymore—they’re sprinting ahead.

And if you’re a creator, educator, or side hustler?

You need to know what just dropped—because your entire workflow is about to change.

CATCH OF THE DAY

Welcome to Google’s Ultra Reality

In the old world, you typed a few keywords, hit enter, and clicked a blue link. Google made a lot of money. You probably opened five tabs and forgot what you were doing.

In this new world, you ask a weirdly specific question—like “make me a two-minute video pitch about cat furniture trends”—and AI Mode gives you a script, image ideas, and shopping links.

All without ever leaving the page.

With AI Mode officially rolled out to all U.S. users, the search box isn’t just a box. It’s a starting point for a conversation—with Gemini.

It doesn’t just answer your question. It follows up. It builds on your thought process.
And with Project Mariner, it can even browse the web, click links, and fetch information across multiple sites—like a research assistant that never takes coffee breaks.

Meanwhile, Project Astra takes things into the physical world. Once widely available, you’ll be able to point your phone at a whiteboard, a device, or even your dog—and get contextual responses in real-time. It’s AI that doesn’t just think—it sees and hears too.

This isn’t search. It’s an AI-powered butler with a browser.

So What’s in Ultra?

Google’s Ultra plan is priced at $250/month (or $124.99/month for early adopters), and it bundles in:

• Gemini 2.5 Pro and Flash – lightning-fast, top-performing models across logic, code, and math.

• Gemini Deep Think – a parallel reasoning engine that aced the U.S. Math Olympiad and hit 84% on the MMMU benchmark.

• Flow – an AI filmmaking platform where you can prompt entire scenes, complete with synced sound effects, ambient noise, and dialogue.

• Imagen 4 – finally, precise text rendering and high-fidelity image generation. Typography actually works now.

• Veo 3 – a video model with scene consistency, motion control, and synced audio.

• Jules – your new AI coding agent who works asynchronously, troubleshoots your repo, and won’t ask for a raise.

Why This Matters for Creators and Educators

AI tools have been “cool” for a while. But they’ve also been chaotic.

One tool to write. Another to generate images. A third to summarize your notes. A fourth to… break your spirit.

Google is stitching these all together.

What used to take you five tools, three hours, and a minor identity crisis can now be done in one ecosystem. And with NotebookLM, Deep Search, and Flow converging, your entire content workflow—from ideation to creation—is starting to look frictionless.

But here’s the kicker: this is still just version 1 of Google’s big bet. The Ultra plan isn’t about justifying a price tag—it’s about locking in power users before OpenAI or Apple drops the next bombshell.

The Final Byte

This isn’t just a shiny launch. It’s a strategy—and it’s aimed squarely at people like you.

If you’re building, teaching, or creating with AI, you now have access to a set of tools that feel less like individual features and more like a creative exosuit.

But here’s the uncomfortable truth: access is becoming a luxury.

As the AI stack gets deeper, the divide won’t be between users and non-users. It’ll be between those who can afford the best tools… and those left behind.

So here’s my take:
Don’t chase Ultra. Chase leverage.
Whether you’re on the free tier or the full stack, what matters is how you think with AI—not just what buttons you can press.

Because no matter how smart Gemini gets, it’s your ideas—and what you do with them—that will still set you apart.

See you in the next one,

BEFORE YOU GO

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