Google CEO Sundar Pichai highlighted the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into all Google apps and services during the recent 2024 developer conference, held at the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View.
One of the major announcements at the conference was the introduction of Gemini 1.5 Flash, a new AI model designed for speed and efficiency. This will make it easier for developers to create AI-powered applications and services.
Project Astra, a universal assistant powered by AI, was also unveiled by Google. This assistant showcased impressive capabilities such as natural conversation and object recognition using a smartphone camera.
For US Google One subscribers, Google Photos will have enhanced AI capabilities. This will allow users to make complex queries such as “show me the best photo from each national park I’ve visited” and generate captions for social media.
In addition, Google introduced Veo and Imagen 3, its new AI-powered media creation engines. These tools are designed to produce high-quality videos and photorealistic images using text-to-image generators.
Updates to Google Search include AI-generated answers on top of search results by default. Users can also opt-in to Search Labs for experimental features.
Gemini will be integrated into Android 15 later this year, providing context-specific information through an overlay that could impact the role of Google Assistant.
WearOS 5 is expected to offer significant improvements in battery life compared to WearOS 4. Developers will have access to a new guide on conserving power for more efficient apps.
Android 15 will introduce anti-theft features such as Theft Detection Lock, which uses AI to predict phone thefts based on motion detection.
Other updates announced at the conference include digital watermarks on AI-generated content, Gemini accessibility in Gmail and Docs, a virtual AI teammate in Workspace, real-time scam detection on phone calls, and various enhancements across Google apps and services.
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