Google I/O 2024: A Year of AI and Refined Experiences

Google I/O 2024 wrapped up yesterday, leaving a trail of exciting announcements about the future of Google's technology that's majorly focused on AI as there were 121 times when the word "AI" was mentioned in the event.

Here are the key takeaways:

The Rise of Ambient AI:

The most important star of the event was without a doubt, Gemini, Google's AI assistant. This year the main task was to make Gemini more helpful and intuitive through "Gemini Live." With multimodal support, Gemini Nano can now understand not only text, but also visuals, sounds, and spoken language as well. Imagine your phone intelligently giving you the name of an object you point your camera at, or TalkBack (the screen reader feature) providing better descriptions thanks to Gemini's image understanding.

To your notes, the big hippo of Google's AI coming in June with a 27-billion-parameter model to Gemma 2 would be a real game changer.

Android 15 Takes Center Stage:

The coming version of Android, called Android 15, was officially unveiled. Although the details are still not fully known, the main concerns are privacy and user control, which are the most important issues. The user will be able to have a more personal experience and will be assured of the system's security by the tighter integration with Gemini.

A Glimpse into the Future:

Google I/O is not finished without a glimpse of the future. The progression of AR glasses that are integrated with the environment and the new generation of self-driving car prototypes that assure a future of safer and more accessible transportation was seen.

Beyond the Headlines:

The I/O experience is not just about keynotes, it is about so much more. People all over the globe who are into the development of the tech industry were in the same room for the technical sessions, workshops, and the opportunity to meet the members of the Google team. This year's conference had an "I/O puzzle" for a funny way to do things. 

What it Means for You:

Google I/O 2024 depicts a future where technology is a part of our lives which is so seamlessly integrated that we will not feel any difference. AI assistants that are aware of our context, mobile experiences that adjust to our needs, and the constant innovation that challenges the boundaries – these are the guarantees Google made. You can be a developer or a casual user and it is evident that Google is developing a future where technology is used to empower us to do more.

So it was Google I/O 2024 but there's more AI.

Yes:

Google mentioned ‘AI’ 121 times during its I/O keynote

It should be noted that although Google probably said "AI" 121 times in the I/O keynote, it was not necessarily 121 different announcements. AI was the main thing talked about, and it was the thread that connected all the reveals.

Here's a breakdown of some key areas where AI was mentioned:

Search Reimagined:

No more just human written content, you may see more AI-generated summaries on Google search results:

• AI Overviews: The search results are getting more intelligent. AI will be able to create summaries of complex subjects and thus, it will be a good starting point for your study.
• Multistep Reasoning: No more jumping from one search to another. Ask a multi-step question, for example, "find the best yoga studio near me with good walking times," and Google will use AI to analyze maps, ratings, and reviews to give you one answer. 
• Project Astra: Think about looking for a recipe and having your phone display the visual overlay on your counter, showing you the way to each step. Project Astra uses AI to merge visual search with real-world tasks automatically.

Project Astra could be developed into killing Apple's Vision Pro or be a great competition for Meta AI. Who knows?

AI Makes Apps Smarter:

As it was all about AI this year, here's more:

• LearningLM: This AI technology makes the learning process more personalized. Consider educational apps that are programmed to cope with your speed and level of understanding, and thus, a more efficient learning process is created.
• SynthID Watermarking: Fight misinformation! This AI tool puts a digital watermark in the text so that the users can prove the source and the authenticity of the information.
• AI Workflow Automation: Google Workspace is going to be enhanced by AI. Predict features that will automate the routine tasks, thus, you will be able to concentrate on the activities that require strategic thinking.
• Gmail Enhancements: AI is getting closer to your inbox! Examine the features such as "Summarize this email" and contextual assistants that analyze the email and suggest the relevant actions.
• Google Photos: Now with Ask Photos you will be able to find people, places and items from your Google Photos gallery using natural language as AI prompts.
• Gemini Live: Just like OpenAI announced recently, it will be a feature to let users conversationally interact with Gemini.
• Veo: A direct competitor to OpenAI's Sora (generative video model).

With all this, Google's AI is coming to Gmaps, Google Assistant, Firebase as Genkit, and everywhere else.

AI on Your Device:

Google has just gone more serious about AI and putting it everywhere:

• Android Gemini Nano: The on-device version of Gemini is the one that integrates AI intelligence directly into your phone. Believe that the features such as multi-modal interaction (understanding the sights and sounds) will be there for a better user experience. 
• Gemini Nano-powered TalkBack: The screen reader technology is on the way to get a boost!TalkBack will use AI to enhance the descriptions of visual content and thus, the digital world will be more accessible.

What else?

Beyond the Surface:

These are just a few examples. AI was announced in many other ways, for instance, the self-driving car technology that will be developed in the future or the AR glasses that will be powered by AI and will bring information to life before your eyes. 

The main objective was not on the individual characteristics, but rather on how AI can become a foundational layer, which will be interwoven with every aspect of the Google experience to make it more helpful, intuitive, and personalized.