Google's New Colorful Icons: How to Spot AI Features

Google is redesigning icons across Gmail, Sheets, and other apps with colorful gradients—a visual shift from the flat, simple look introduced in 2016. The gradient colors are a signal: features that use artificial intelligence get a particular color treatment. As AI becomes routine in everyday software, companies need ways to show users which tools are AI-powered. It remains unclear whether people will embrace the new look without confusion.