Google I/O 2024: Here’s everything Google just announced

It’s that second you’ve been ready for all yr: Google I/O keynote day! Google kicked off its developer convention every year with a rapid-fire stream of bulletins, together with many unveilings of current issues it’s been engaged on. Brian already kicked us off by sharing what we expect.

Because you may not have had time to observe the entire two-hour presentation Tuesday, we took that on and delivered fast hits of the largest information from the keynote as they have been introduced, all in an easy-to-digest, easy-to-skim checklist.

Privateness issues over AI voice name scans

Google showcased a demo of a name rip-off detection function throughout I/O, which it says shall be added to a future model of Android. The function scans voice calls as they’re taking place with AI, which successfully is client-side scanning, which has already sparked such a backlash on iOS that Apple deserted its plans to undertake it in 2021. And as anticipated, quite a lot of privateness advocates and consultants voiced issues over Google’s use of the expertise, which they are saying might swiftly increase past making use of simply to scams and be utilized in extra malicious methods. Learn extra

Up to date security measures

On Wednesday, Google introduced it’s including new safety and privateness protections to Android, together with on-device stay risk detection to catch malicious apps, new safeguards for display screen sharing, and higher safety in opposition to cell web site simulators.

The corporate stated it’s rising the on-device functionality of its Google Play Shield system to detect fraudulent apps making an attempt to breach delicate permissions. It additionally makes use of AI to detect if apps are attempting to work together with different companies and apps in an unauthorized method.

Google stated if the system is definite about malicious conduct, it disables the app routinely. In any other case, it alerts the corporate for a assessment after which alerts customers. Learn extra

And to guard units in the actual world, Google additionally introduced Theft Detection Lock, an AI-powered addition that identifies movement generally related to theft, like a swift motion in an wrong way. As soon as detected, the cellphone display screen routinely locks, stopping future utilization of the gadget with out clearing no matter safeguards you’ve put in place. Learn extra

Google TV

Google labored its Gemini into its Google TV sensible TV working system so it may possibly generate descriptions for films and TV exhibits. When an outline is lacking on the house display screen, the AI will fill it in routinely to make sure that viewers by no means should marvel what a title is about. It’ll additionally translate descriptions into the viewer’s native language, making the content material extra discoverable to a wider viewers. The most effective half? The AI-generated descriptions are additionally customized based mostly on a viewer’s style and actor preferences. Learn extra

Non-public House function

Now right here’s a enjoyable one. Non-public House is a brand new Android function that lets customers silo a portion of the working system for delicate data. It’s a bit like Incognito mode for the cell working system, sectioning designated apps right into a “container.”

The area is obtainable from the launcher and might be locked as a second layer of authentication. Apps in Non-public House shall be hidden from notifications, settings and recents. Customers can nonetheless entry the apps by means of a system sharesheet and picture picker in the principle area, as long as the personal area has been unlocked.

Builders can mess around with it now, however there’s a caveat — there’s a bug. Google says it expects to handle the bug within the coming days. Learn extra

Google Maps will get geospatial AR

Google Maps customers will quickly have a brand new layer of content material on their telephones — they’ll have entry to geospatial augmented actuality content material. The function will first seem in Singapore and Paris as a part of a pilot program launching later this yr.

Customers will be capable to entry the AR content material by first looking for a location in Google Maps. If the placement has AR content material and the person is close to the place, they must faucet on the picture that claims “AR Expertise” after which raise their cellphone. 

If somebody is exploring a spot remotely, they will see the identical AR expertise in Avenue View. After exploring the AR content material, customers can share the expertise by means of a deep hyperlink URL or QR code on social media. Learn extra

Put on OS 5

Google gave a developer preview of the brand new model of its smartwatch working system, Put on OS 5. The newest launch focuses on improved battery life and different efficiency enhancements, like extra environment friendly exercise monitoring. Builders are additionally getting up to date instruments for creating watch faces, in addition to new variations of Put on OS tiles and Jetpack Compose for constructing watch apps. Learn extra

Trendster Minute

As we word throughout this publish, the Google I/O developer convention got here with an enormous dose of AI. See how Anthony Ha summed it up Wednesday. Learn extra

Even Elon Musk took word

“Internet” search filter

Google launched a brand new technique to filter for simply text-based hyperlinks. The brand new “Internet” filter seems on the high of the outcomes web page and allows customers to filter for textual content hyperlinks the way in which they will right now filter for photographs, video, information or purchasing.

As Sarah Perez studies, the launch is an admission that typically folks will wish to simply floor text-based hyperlinks to internet pages, aka the basic blue hyperlinks, that right now are sometimes of secondary significance as Google both solutions the query in its informational Data Panels or, now, by means of AI experiments. Learn extra

Firebase Genkit

There’s a brand new addition to the Firebase platform, known as Firebase Genkit, that goals to make it simpler for builders to construct AI-powered purposes in JavaScript/TypeScript, with Go assist coming quickly. It’s an open supply framework, utilizing the Apache 2.0 license, that permits builders to shortly construct AI into new and present purposes.

A number of the use instances for Genkit the corporate is highlighting Tuesday embody most of the normal GenAI use instances: content material technology and summarization, textual content translation and producing photographs. Learn extra

AI advert nauseam

Tuesday’s Google I/O ran for 110 minutes, however Google managed to reference AI a whopping 121 occasions throughout (by its personal rely) the occasion. CEO Sundar Pichai referenced the determine to wrap up the presentation, cheekily stating that the corporate was doing the “onerous work” of counting for us. Once more, it was no shock — we have been prepared for it. Learn extra

Generative AI for studying

Also right now, Google unveiled LearnLM, a brand new household of generative AI fashions “fine-tuned” for studying. It’s a collaboration between Google’s DeepMind AI analysis division and Google Analysis. LearnLM fashions are designed to “conversationally” tutor college students on a spread of topics, Google says.

Although it’s already accessible on a number of of Google’s platforms, the corporate is taking LearnLM by means of a pilot program in Google Classroom. It’s also working with educators to see how LearnLM may simplify and enhance the method of lesson planning. LearnLM might assist lecturers uncover new concepts, content material and actions, Google says, or discover supplies tailor-made to the wants of particular pupil cohorts. Learn extra

Quiz grasp

Talking of training, new to YouTube are AI-generated quizzes. This new conversational AI device permits customers to figuratively “elevate their hand” when watching instructional movies. Viewers can ask clarifying questions, get useful explanations or take a quiz on the subject material. 

That is going to be some reduction for many who have to observe longer instructional movies, similar to lectures or seminars, because of the Gemini mannequin’s long-context capabilities. These new options are rolling out to pick Android customers within the U.S. Learn extra

Gemma 2 updates

One of many high requests Google heard from builders is for an even bigger Gemma mannequin, so Google shall be including a brand new 27-billion-parameter mannequin to Gemma 2. This subsequent technology of Google’s Gemma fashions will launch in June. This dimension is optimized by Nvidia to run on next-generation GPU and may run effectively on a single TPU host and vertex AI, Google stated. Learn extra

Google Play

Google Play is getting some consideration with a brand new discovery function for apps, new methods to accumulate customers, updates to Play Factors and different enhancements to developer-facing instruments just like the Google Play SDK Console and Play Integrity API, amongst different issues.

Of specific curiosity to builders is one thing known as the Have interaction SDK, which can introduce a method for app makers to showcase their content material to customers in a full-screen, immersive expertise that’s customized to the person person. Google says this isn’t a floor that customers can see at the moment, nevertheless. Learn extra

Detecting scams throughout calls

Tuesday, Google previewed a function it believes will alert customers to potential scams through the name. 

The function, which shall be constructed right into a future model of Android, makes use of Gemini Nano, the smallest model of Google’s generative AI providing, which might be run fully on-device. The system successfully listens for “dialog patterns generally related to scams” in actual time. 

Google provides the instance of somebody pretending to be a “financial institution consultant.” Widespread scammer techniques like password requests and reward playing cards can even set off the system. These are all fairly properly understood to be methods of extracting your cash from you, however loads of folks on the planet are nonetheless weak to those kinds of scams. As soon as set off, it’s going to pop up a notification that the person could also be falling prey to unsavory characters. Learn extra

Ask Pictures

Google Pictures is getting an AI infusion with the launch of an experimental function, Ask Pictures, powered by Google’s Gemini AI mannequin. The brand new addition, which rolls out later this summer season, will enable customers to go looking throughout their Google Pictures assortment utilizing pure language queries that leverage an AI’s understanding of their picture’s content material and different metadata.

Whereas earlier than customers might seek for particular folks, locations, or issues of their images, due to pure language processing, the AI improve will make discovering the best content material extra intuitive and fewer of a handbook search course of.

And the instance was cute, too. Who doesn’t love a tiger stuffed animal/Golden Retriever band duo known as “Golden Stripes?” Learn extra

All About Gemini

Gemini in Gmail

Gmail customers will be capable to search, summarize, and draft their emails utilizing its Gemini AI expertise. It would additionally be capable to take motion on emails for extra complicated duties, like serving to you course of an e-commerce return by looking out your inbox, discovering the receipt and filling out a web based type. Learn extra

Gemini 1.5 Professional

One other improve to the generative AI is that Gemini can now analyze longer paperwork, codebases, movies and audio recordings than earlier than.

In a personal preview of a brand new model of Gemini 1.5 Professional, the corporate’s present flagship mannequin, it was revealed that it may possibly soak up as much as 2 million tokens. That’s double the earlier most quantity. With that degree, the brand new model of Gemini 1.5 Professional helps the most important enter of any commercially accessible mannequin. Learn extra

Gemini Stay

The corporate previewed a brand new expertise in Gemini known as Gemini Stay, which lets customers have “in-depth” voice chats with Gemini on their smartphones. Customers can interrupt Gemini whereas the chatbot’s chatting with ask clarifying questions, and it’ll adapt to their speech patterns in actual time. And Gemini can see and reply to customers’ environment, both through images or video captured by their smartphones’ cameras.

At first look, Stay doesn’t appear to be a drastic improve over present tech. However Google claims it faucets newer methods from the generative AI area to ship superior, much less error-prone picture evaluation — and combines these methods with an enhanced speech engine for extra constant, emotionally expressive and real looking multi-turn dialogue. Learn extra

Gemini Nano

Now for a tiny announcement. Google can also be constructing Gemini Nano, the smallest of its AI fashions, immediately into the Chrome desktop shopper, beginning with Chrome 126. This, the corporate says, will allow builders to make use of the on-device mannequin to energy their very own AI options. Google plans to make use of this new functionality to energy options like the present “assist me write” device from Workspace Lab in Gmail, for instance. Learn extra

Gemini on Android

Google’s Gemini on Android, its AI substitute for Google Assistant, will quickly be making the most of its capacity to deeply combine with Android’s cell working system and Google’s apps. Customers will be capable to drag and drop AI-generated photographs immediately into their Gmail, Google Messages and different apps. In the meantime, YouTube customers will be capable to faucet “Ask this video” to search out particular data from inside that YouTube video, Google says. Learn extra

Gemini on Google Maps

Gemini mannequin capabilities are coming to the Google Maps platform for builders, beginning with the Locations API. Builders can present generative AI summaries of locations and areas in their very own apps and web sites. The summaries are created based mostly on Gemini’s evaluation of insights from Google Maps’ neighborhood of greater than 300 million contributors. What’s higher? Builders will not have to write down their very own customized descriptions of locations. Learn extra

Tensor Processing Items get a efficiency increase

Google unveiled its subsequent technology — the sixth, to be actual — of its Tensor Processing Items (TPU) AI chips. Dubbed Trillium, they’ll launch later this yr. If you happen to recall, asserting the following technology of TPUs is one thing of a practice at I/O, even because the chips solely roll out later within the yr. 

These new TPUs will function a 4.7x efficiency increase in compute efficiency per chip when in comparison with the fifth technology. What’s perhaps much more essential, although, is that Trillium options the third technology of SparseCore, which Google describes as “a specialised accelerator for processing ultra-large embeddings widespread in superior rating and advice workloads.” Learn extra

AI in search

Google is including extra AI to its search, assuaging doubts that the corporate is dropping market share to opponents like ChatGPT and Perplexity. It’s rolling out AI-powered overviews to customers within the U.S. Moreover, the corporate can also be trying to make use of Gemini as an agent for issues like journey planning. Learn extra

Google plans to make use of generative AI to arrange your complete search outcomes web page for some search outcomes. That’s along with the present AI Overview function, which creates a brief snippet with mixture details about a subject you have been looking for. The AI Overview function turns into typically accessible Tuesday, after a stint in Google’s AI Labs program. Learn extra

Generative AI upgrades

Google introduced Imagen 3, the most recent within the tech large’s Imagen generative AI mannequin household.

Demis Hassabis, CEO of DeepMind, Google’s AI analysis division, stated that Imagen 3 extra precisely understands the textual content prompts that it interprets into photographs versus its predecessor, Imagen 2, and is extra “inventive and detailed” in its generations. As well as, the mannequin produces fewer “distracting artifacts” and errors, he stated.

“That is [also] our greatest mannequin but for rendering textual content, which has been a problem for picture technology fashions,” Hassabis added. Learn extra

Venture IDX

Venture IDX, the corporate’s next-gen, AI-centric browser-based improvement setting, is now in open beta. With this replace comes an integration with the Google Maps Platform into the IDE, serving to add geolocation options to its apps, in addition to integrations with the Chrome Dev Instruments and Lighthouse to assist debug purposes. Quickly, Google can even allow deploying apps to Cloud Run, Google Cloud’s serverless platform for working front- and back-end companies. Learn extra

Veo

Google’s gunning for OpenAI’s Sora with Veo, an AI mannequin that may create 1080p video clips round a minute lengthy given a textual content immediate. Veo can seize completely different visible and cinematic kinds, together with pictures of landscapes and time lapses, and make edits and changes to already-generated footage.

It additionally builds on Google’s preliminary business work in video technology, previewed in April, which tapped the corporate’s Imagen 2 household of image-generating fashions to create looping video clips. Learn extra

Circle to Search

The AI-powered Circle to Search function, which permits Android customers to get on the spot solutions utilizing gestures like circling, will now be capable to remedy extra complicated issues throughout psychics and math phrase issues. It’s designed to make it extra pure to have interaction with Google Search from wherever on the cellphone by taking some motion — like circling, highlighting, scribbling or tapping. Oh, and it’s additionally higher to assist children with their homework immediately from supported Android telephones and tablets. Learn extra

Pixel 8a

Google couldn’t wait till I/O to indicate off the most recent addition to the Pixel line and introduced the brand new Pixel 8a final week. The handset begins at $499 and ships Tuesday. The updates, too, are what we’ve come to count on from these refreshes. On the high of the checklist is the addition of the Tensor G3 chip. Learn extra

Pixel Slate

Google’s Pixel Pill, known as Slate, is now accessible. If you happen to recall, Brian reviewed the Pixel Pill round this time final yr, and all he talked about was the bottom. Apparently sufficient, the pill is obtainable with out it. Learn extra

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