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We have witnessed how in less than a year the artificial intelligence is capturing the attention of important sectors of the world industry. Part of the early euphoria generated by this technology is due to the appearance of ChatGPT, a generative language model that can answer almost anything you ask it, from creating a children’s story to developing Java code. But to be fair, the development of AI has been going on for decades, and one of the companies that has put the most emphasis on this is Google.
Things that now may seem routine or simple, such as the fact that when writing an email in Gmail the phrases are auto-completed or that it is possible to reply to an email with predetermined short phrases adapted to each context, are actually the product of years of research. The problem is small details that, no matter how many they abound, nobody stops to think about the merits behind these innovations; and when an AI arrives with which you can converse almost face to face, as if you were facing a teacher, a psychologist, a historian, a physicist, a writer –yes, ChatGPT can assume all those roles, and many more– , we were stunned.
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The response to the threat
For Google, on the other hand, the product of OpenAI – company that develops the conversational chatbot – really meant a threat. For the first time in decades, the company’s experts thought that Google’s Internet search engine might seem outdated, even worse now that Microsoft has included GPT4 – the language used by the aforementioned chat – in its Bing search engine. What’s more, in December, the tech giant declared a “red alert” to find ways to incorporate the technology behind ChatGPT into its own products. The main thing, then, was to protect the franchise that, according to The New York Times, is valued at 162 billion dollars.
Since November 2022, when the OpenAI chatbot launched, technology experts and investors have criticized Google for not acting quickly, some have even come to think that we are facing a revolution as big as the one that occurred with the appearance of the Internet. However, while Google pioneered AI technology, it was reluctant to take full advantage of it due to the associated risks, such as the spread of false information.
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Finally, the company based in Mountain View (California, USA) has responded to its critics by showing what role artificial intelligence will play for it from now on. Last Wednesday at its Google I/O 2023 developer event, the internet giant announced that it has incorporated its latest AI technology into 25 products, including search updates and a feature to help users write emails on Gmail.
One of the biggest announcements of the event was that users, initially in the United States, A. This will be made possible by the updated version of Google’s language model, PaLM 2, which is also behind the other 25 services.
Another of the most important moments of I/O 2023 was the announcement of This is Google’s experimental chatbot, intended to compete with ChatGPT, which previously only had access to a select group of people. According to the company, in a few months, it will be possible to interact with the tool in another 40 languages, including Spanish.
Panorama full of opportunities
Google’s event, which was previously awash with anticipation due to rumors of the launch of the Pixel Fold, its first foldable phone, finally clarified the route the company will take in advancing AI.
which should allow searches to better understand the questions, which will save time by not having to search for the correct answer.
Obviously, it could not be otherwise. There is a huge economic opportunity in all of this. Building AI models is a resource-intensive process, and only a handful of companies have the financial capacity to undertake it. While it’s critical for Google to future-proof its search business, it could also generate huge revenue by allowing other companies access to its cloud computing services to develop their own AI solutions.
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Google took the ChatGPT threat with a grain of salt, but also as a priority. Now, after half a year of expectation, its response seems forceful when trying to integrate artificial intelligence into its main applications and services.
Below is a brief summary of the main Google announcements from your appointment last Wednesday.
• Android News
Thanks to generative AI, there are now new ways to personalize an Android phone as well. Among the most important are:
Magic Compose: Will be available in the coming months in Google Messages and will offer response suggestions based on the context of the messages, and even help transform what is written in different styles.
New phone customization with Android 14: By the end of 2023, with Android 14, you can personalize your phone with new lock screen shortcuts and a monochrome theme option. There will also be emoji wallpapers that will allow you to customize them with different combinations, patterns, and colors.
Android Auto: This tool is already available in 200 million vehicles on the road this year, and by the end of 2023 the number of car models with Google Auto built-in will double.
• New experiences in Maps
Google Maps announced the launch of the Immersive View for routes, which allows you to visualize each segment of a route before starting a trip, whether driving, walking or cycling. This feature will go live in the coming months in Amsterdam, Berlin, Dublin, Florence, Las Vegas, London, Los Angeles, New York, Miami, Paris, Seattle, San Francisco, San Jose, Tokyo, and Venice.
• What’s new in Workspace
Google has presented a new prototype of its Starline project, a video call system that uses artificial intelligence and cameras to create a 3D model of the connected people in real time. In addition, Google has introduced new AI-powered tools to improve the experience for its users in Workspace, such as Duet AI for composing responses in Gmail and Sidekick to help users when they need guidance on the platform. Spelling and grammar checking tools in Docs are also being refined, and Workspace Labs have been launched to test AI-based tools ahead of their official release.
• Security and privacy
Google continues to work on creating products that are secure, private, and give users control over data. In this vein, it announced new tools such as “About this image” to assess the trustworthiness of online images, a safe browsing API to avoid scams, greater control of data in Android applications and an expanded API for the security of video content for children In addition, “Find My Device” features will be updated for broader cross-brand device discovery, and unknown tracker alerts will be added to Android to notify users of the presence of third-party Bluetooth trackers near users.
• Hardware
Google introduced a series of updates to its portfolio of hardware products, which also integrate AI functions. The announcements include:
The Pixel Fold, Google’s first foldable phone, featuring the Tensor G2 chip and a 7.6-inch display when unfolded. Furthermore, it offers Android split screen functionality among other features.
The Pixel 7a, which includes the Pixel camera bar and is the most durable A-series phone to date. In addition, its improved main camera has a 72% larger sensor than the Pixel 6a and an all-new 13-megapixel ultra-wide lens.
The Pixel Tablet, which features an 11-inch display, built-in quad speakers, and the Tensor G2 chip. In addition, it features the new Charging Speaker Dock, which allows the device to be charged and used hands-free, making it a useful home device. It is also the first tablet with Chromecast built-in.
These models, however, will not be available in Latin America.
Source: Elcomercio
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