Introduction: Multimodality is no longer a feature; it’s the future

Google’s announcements at the I/O event, Project Astra, and AI Overviews in search mark a transformative moment in how customer experience (CX) must evolve. These innovations aren’t just tech upgrades; they redefine how discovery, engagement, and support unfold in a real-time, AI-powered world.

Consumers today don’t think in terms of channels. They might begin by asking a smart assistant like Google Assistant or Siri about a product, evaluate it via video, ask questions through text, and make a purchase through the app, expecting a seamless, continuous experience throughout. Yet, most brands are still operating within siloed, outdated models.

Companies with strong omnichannel engagement strategies retain an average of 89% of their customers, while those with weaker strategies only retain about 33% of their customers.

This is where Google’s latest innovations become critical. They represent a shift from reactive service, where help comes after an issue arises, to contextual, real-time, and proactive customer engagement.

Let’s explore how each innovation, AI Overviews and Project Astra, is shaping the future of CX and what brands must do to stay relevant.

Part One: Brand discoverability with AI Overviews

AI Overviews are changing how users discover information online. Instead of scrolling through links, people increasingly see AI-generated summaries at the top of search results. These concise, trusted overviews surface the most relevant content, and if your brand isn’t included, you may not even get a visit.

This changes everything for CX leaders. Visibility isn’t earned through traditional SEO alone, it now depends on credibility, authority, and consistency across platforms.

Why AI Overviews matter for CX

• AI now determines which brands are credible and worth surfacing.

• It prioritises content from trusted ecosystems like YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, quick commerce apps, and editorial platforms.

• Keywords and backlinks are losing influence; digital presence and authority carry more weight.

• In short: brands that consistently show up across platforms will be the ones AI recommends.

Omnichannel ≠ Optional

Discoverability is now an AI-powered game, and showing up across platforms is a requirement, not a strategy.

• AI rewards brands with a unified presence across content, social, and commerce ecosystems.

• A consistent identity enhances trustworthiness and relevance in AI summaries.

• Authenticity, frequency, and user value now matter more than keyword hacks.

What brands must do now

1. Establish omnichannel credibility: Maintain a strong, consistent presence across key digital platforms. AI Overviews synthesize responses from various sources, often prioritising brands that demonstrate cohesive visibility and trust across channels.

2. Unify messaging and identity: Consistently align your tone, visuals, and voice across all formats.

3. Optimise for AI-first discovery: Shift from traditional SEO to focusing on trust, context, and customer value.

AI Overviews mark a pivotal shift in how people discover your brand. The question is no longer can they find you, but will the AI choose to show you?

Part Two: Context-aware AI assistant- Project Astra

Project Astra, unveiled at Google I/O 2024 by DeepMind, is a next-generation AI agent designed to understand the world the way people do, through vision, speech, and memory. Capable of processing real-time input from voice, video, and images simultaneously, Astra moves beyond static interaction and ushers in a new era of fluid, multimodal engagement.

From text-based search → to voice commands → to image recognition → and now to multimodal discovery, where users interact visually, verbally, and physically, all at once.

If AI Overviews are redefining how customers discover your brand, Astra is reimagining how they interact with it; live, intuitively, and in context.

What makes Astra different?

It bridges the context gap that still exists in many CX models today. Despite efforts at personalisation, brands often deliver fragmented, rule-based experiences, offering help after problems arise. Astra changes this by delivering proactive, context-aware assistance.

Real-world applications of Project Astra in CX

• Retail: Point _your phone at a product and instantly receive tutorials, alternatives, or personalised recommendations based on what Astra sees.

• Banking & Insurance: While filling out complex forms, Astra provides real-time visual guidance and recalls past interactions to help with claims or service queries.

• Healthcare: Ask questions about symptoms or medications—Astra pulls up relevant, contextual responses from memory and past health records.

• Travel: Get visual alerts if you’re walking toward the wrong gate or need directions inside an unfamiliar airport.

• Digital Services: Astra can guide users through app interfaces by recognising what’s on the screen and offering live, step-by-step help.

Why this matters for CX

Modern customers expect service that’s:

• Anticipatory, not reactive

• Consistent across modalities

• Fast, visual, and personalised

Astra enables exactly that, CX that’s proactive, real-time, and deeply contextual.

Preparing for the Multimodal Future

To meet the expectations raised by innovations like Project Astra and AI Overviews, brands must evolve:

1. Unify customer data: Break down internal silos to share real-time context across touchpoints.

2. Enable multimodal interaction: Support voice, image, video, and text inputs across digital platforms.

3. Design for proactivity: Use AI to anticipate needs instead of just reacting to queries.

4. Be platform-present: Show up across social, video, commerce, and content ecosystems where customers engage.

5. Optimise for AI-first discovery: Build credibility and relevance beyond SEO, focus on value, engagement, and context.

6. Ensure transparency: Make AI experiences explainable, secure, and respectful of privacy.

Project Astra isn’t just an upgrade in interface, it’s a paradigm shift in how brands must think about service, support, and engagement in a multimodal world.

At Twimbit…

We help brands deeply analyse and transform their customer journeys, across every channel, touchpoint, and modality. Whether it’s benchmarking CX leaders, spotting opportunities, or enabling actionable strategies, Twimbit empowers organisations to lead with insight.

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