You've certainly noticed that Gemini was everywhere this year. The thing is, it's not just an impression: Gemini is officially the most searched term on Google in 2025. Ahead of the India-England cricket, ahead of Charlie Kirk, ahead of everything else. And frankly, when your own AI becomes the most popular topic on your search engine, it means something massive.
Spoiler alert: Google didn't just release a new model. The company is transforming its entire ecosystem into an AI machine. Gemini 3 Pro, Gemini 3 Flash, Chrome integration, supercharged Deep Research... I'll explain why 2025 marks a real turning point and what it concretely changes for you.
In this article
- Gemini #1 Worldwide: Numbers That Hurt the Competition
- Gemini 3 Pro and Flash: The New Benchmark Kings
- Chrome Becomes an AI Assistant: The Silent Revolution
- Deep Research: Your Personal Researcher on Steroids
- OpenAI in "Code Red" Mode: Panic at ChatGPT
- Pros and Cons of Gemini's Dominance
- Frequently Asked Questions
Gemini #1 Worldwide: Numbers That Hurt the Competition
Google's "Year in Search" report just dropped and the verdict is clear: Gemini is the query with the highest sustained traffic increase in 2025. Not a one-time spike, but a real underlying trend that started exploding in September.
To be honest, it's pretty wild when you think about it. Google managed to create a product so impactful that people massively search for its name... on Google. It's the snake eating its own tail, but in an ultra-profitable way.
The timing isn't a coincidence. In November, Google dropped Gemini 3 Pro and it hit like a bomb. Marc Benioff, Salesforce's CEO, publicly declared he was abandoning ChatGPT after testing Gemini. Sam Altman himself had to acknowledge that "the leap is insane: reasoning, speed, images, video... everything is sharper and faster."
When your main competitor's CEO gives you free publicity, you know you did something right.
Gemini 3 Pro and Flash: The New Benchmark Kings
Let's talk numbers, because that's where it gets interesting. Gemini 3 Pro didn't just catch up to GPT-5, it surpassed it on several fronts.
The table that sums it all up:
| Benchmark | Gemini 3 Pro | GPT-5.2 | Claude Sonnet 4.5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| LMArena Elo | 1501 | 1485 | 1470 |
| Humanity's Last Exam (no tools) | 37.5% | 34.5% | - |
| GPQA Diamond | 91.9% | - | - |
| Video-MMMU | 87.6% | 80.4% | - |
| SWE-Bench (code) | 63.8% | 80% | 77.2% |
The most impressive part? The GPQA Diamond score of 91.9% which surpasses human experts (around 89.8%). We're talking about a model that beats PhD students on their own turf.
And on December 18th, Google released Gemini 3 Flash, a speed-optimized version. The specs are insane:
- 3x faster than Gemini 2.5 Pro
- 30% fewer tokens consumed
- 218 tokens per second generation
- Price: $0.50/million tokens input, $3/million output
The craziest part? Flash achieves 78% on SWE-Bench Verified for code, even surpassing Gemini 3 Pro on certain tasks. And it becomes the default model in the Gemini app for everyone, for free.
Chrome Becomes an AI Assistant: The Silent Revolution
This might be the most underrated change of the year. Google has started integrating Gemini directly into Chrome, and it completely transforms the browsing experience.
What you can already do (in the US for now):
- Ask questions directly in the address bar and get conversational answers
- Summarize YouTube videos without watching them entirely
- Automatically compare prices across multiple tabs
- Detect scams and phishing in real-time
The "AI Mode" in Google Search is also a game-changer. Instead of the classic 10 blue links, you get synthesized answers directly. It's like having an assistant who does the research for you and summarizes the key points.
For the rest of the world, we'll have to wait a bit longer. Google is rolling out gradually, first in the US in English on desktop. But it will come, it's a matter of months.
The thing to watch: the impact on traditional SEO. If people get their answers directly in search, fewer clicks on websites. This is the beginning of what's called GEO (Generative Engine Optimization), the evolution of classic SEO.
Deep Research: Your Personal Researcher on Steroids
I saved the best for last (well, almost). Gemini Deep Research just received a massive update based on Gemini 3 Pro, and honestly, it's a game changer.
How it works:
- You ask a complex question
- Gemini automatically browses the Internet
- It explores multiple sources in depth
- It generates a multi-page, structured, and sourced report
The new Deep Research achieves 46.4% on Humanity's Last Exam - better than Gemini 3 Pro alone. And on DeepSearchQA, a specific benchmark for multi-step research, it scores 66.1%.
The good news? Deep Research is now free for all users, no need for the Gemini Advanced subscription. Google extended it in December 2024 and optimized it with Gemini 3's new capabilities.
Concrete use cases:
- Automated academic research
- In-depth competitive intelligence
- Multi-source market analysis
- Complex fact-checking with sources
For Ultra users, reports now include visuals: charts, animations, explanatory images. It's like having a research assistant + graphic designer combined.
OpenAI in "Code Red" Mode: Panic at ChatGPT
On December 1st, 2025, Sam Altman sent an internal note to OpenAI employees: "Code Red". The message was clear: urgently improve ChatGPT quality in the face of Gemini's rise.
The context isn't helping OpenAI. GPT-5 was criticized for its "less friendly tone" by users. The company is facing lawsuits from families, and now Gemini is beating them on benchmarks.
OpenAI's emergency response:
- Rushed release of GPT-5.2 on December 12th
- Delay of other products (advertising, agents, personal assistant)
- Total focus on base model quality
The problem for OpenAI is that Google has a massive structural advantage: integration. Gemini is in Chrome, in Search, in Android, in Workspace... ChatGPT remains a separate app. And when your AI is already where people work, you don't need them to come find you.
The processing numbers speak for themselves: Google announces over 1 trillion tokens processed daily via the Gemini API. That's enterprise scale, the kind of volume that consolidates a dominant position.
Pros and Cons of Gemini's Dominance
+ The Pros
- Extended free tier: Gemini 3 Flash free for everyone, Deep Research accessible without subscription
- Native integration: present in Chrome, Search, Android - no need to switch tools
- Multimodal performance: best model for combined text + image + video
- Massive context window: 1 million tokens (about 1500 pages of text)
- Value for money: Flash offers pro performance at minimal cost
- The Cons
- Geographic availability: best features arrive in the US first
- Dependency on Google ecosystem: you're strengthening their grip on your data
- Coding still behind: Claude and GPT-5.2 remain slightly better on SWE-Bench
- AI mode not everywhere yet: no AI Mode in Google Search globally (yet)
My advice
After intensively testing Gemini 3 these past weeks: don't get stuck on a single tool. Gemini excels at multimodal and research, Claude remains my choice for long-form writing and complex code, and GPT-5 keeps its strengths in creativity. The real game changer with Gemini is its Chrome and Search integration. If you're already using the Google ecosystem daily, activate AI mode as soon as it's available in your region. You'll save a huge amount of time on information searches. And test Deep Research on a real work problem. The quality of generated reports blew me away - it's like having an ultra-competent intern doing your research while you do something else.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Gemini 3 Flash really free?
Yes, Gemini 3 Flash is now the default model in the Gemini app, accessible for free to all users. You can still switch to Gemini 3 Pro via the model selector for more complex tasks (math, advanced coding).
When will Google Search AI mode be available worldwide?
Google hasn't announced a specific date. The rollout started in the US in English on desktop. Historically, features reach other regions a few months later. I expect the first half of 2026.
Is Gemini 3 better than ChatGPT for everything?
No. Gemini dominates in multimodal (video, images) and general reasoning. But GPT-5.2 remains slightly better at coding (80% vs 63.8% on SWE-Bench), and Claude Sonnet 4.5 excels at long-form and nuanced writing. The right tool depends on your task.
Can Deep Research replace actual research work?
For initial exploration or quick synthesis, absolutely. For rigorous academic work, it's an excellent starting point but you'll need to verify sources and go deeper. Think of it as a highly capable research assistant, not a complete replacement.
Conclusion
2025 will remain the year Google took back the reins in the AI race. With Gemini as the most searched term in the world, deep integration into Chrome and Search, and performance that's making OpenAI tremble, the message is clear: AI is no longer a separate product, it's a layer infiltrating everywhere.
For you, this means access to professional-level AI is becoming increasingly transparent. You'll soon no longer need to open ChatGPT or a dedicated app - AI will simply be there, in your browser, in your search, in your work tools.
My advice: get familiar with Gemini now if you haven't already. The app is free, powerful, and what you learn today will serve you when all features arrive in your region.
About the author: Flavien Hue has been testing and analyzing artificial intelligence tools since 2023. His mission: democratizing AI by offering practical and honest guides, without unnecessary technical jargon.