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| Keyword in the event: Artificial Intelligence (AI) |
One of the main
events in the tech season happened on May 10th, 2023. The Google
I/O 2023 event was one of the year's most anticipated events for
technology enthusiasts, developers, and entrepreneurs. This year's event
promised to be a game-changer, with Google introducing some of the most
innovative and cutting-edge technologies in the market and a bunch of AI
announcements.
Live from
Shoreline, USA, the Google I/O 2023 event took off. For those who live streamed the
event from around the world like us, we tuned in to the YouTube live stream. The
air was abuzz with the sound of chatter and excitement as people from all over
the world gathered to witness the latest developments in the tech world.
We’ve been applying AI to make our products radically more helpful for a while. With generative AI, we’re taking the next step. With a bold and responsible approach, we’re reimagining all our core products, including Search.
The event started with a keynote speech by Sundar Pichai, the CEO of Google. He started by talking about the evolution of Google over the years, from a simple search engine to a technology giant that has revolutionized how we live, work, and communicate. He stated that “We’ve been applying AI to make our products radically more helpful for a while. With generative AI, we’re taking the next step. With a bold and responsible approach, we’re reimagining all our core products, including Search.”
AI + Google apps and products
The first demonstration took off by showing how Gmail evolved with a feature called Smart Compose, which offered writing suggestions as you type and has led to more advanced writing features powered by AI. Now Gmail has a new feature called ‘Help me write’ which creates for you a smart full draft.
Followed
was the New Immersive View for routes in Google Maps, which uses AI to create a
high-fidelity representation of a place, so you can experience it before you
visit, whether you are walking, cycling or driving.
Another
product made better by AI is Google Photos. When Magic Eraser was introduced,
it showed the capabilities of using AI-powered computational photography to remove
unwanted distractions. Now, there is a new tool called Magic Editor which you can
reposition objects highlighted in an image, change background lighting and
recreate an object part.
Google is
working to make AI more helpful across all the products known by its users. All
these AI tools will be available later this year for individual and business
platforms.
Bard (2.0) with new updates and features
As the most anticipated product to be featured and showcased in the event, Bard has been evolving with new capabilities from PaLM 2, a more advanced language modelling system. With over 20 programming languages, Bard can generate code, debug code and explain the code snippet. Bard users can finally use a dark theme, which developers can enjoy using and are easier on the eyes. You can easily export code using the Export button provided on the chat window.
Still, on the Export button, Bard is offering two more Export Actions when it comes to drafting emails and documents right into Gmail and Docs. Ask Bard to draft an email invitation in Gmail and you are good to go. Bard is getting more visual as well, with Google Lens collaboration to get random captions and display images matching a similar description.
Also, today
Google is removing the waitlist and opening up Bard to over 180 countries and
territories — with more coming soon. Plus, Bard is now available in Japanese
and Korean and will support 40 languages soon. (Including Kiswahili)
A New Search Generative Experience
Google is supercharging
its search engine with Generative AI. With the new generative AI capabilities
in Search, Google is now taking more of the work out of searching, so you will be
able to understand a topic faster, uncover new viewpoints and insights, and get
things done more easily. Google can also help you understand the full
picture when it comes to
shopping, making even the most considered and complex purchase decisions faster
and much easier.
Android 14 and Pixel Portfolio
Android
The world’s
most personal operating system got to have a preview of what is next and what
to expect for future Android devices. Google showcased connecting users to
the most complete ecosystem of devices — where everything works better together
— and how they are using AI to make the things you love about Android even
better, starting with customization and expression. Tablets and foldable are
getting more than 50 Google apps optimized for large screens, including third-party
apps like Spotify, Minecraft and Disney+. WearOS soon will get a WhatsApp
standalone app later this year.
When it comes
to the Android ecosystem, Google has ensured ways devices can communicate with
each other. For example, Google Fast Pair speeds up the setup
process for pairing your favourite devices, including over 300 headphones, Nearby Share is enabled on 3 billion devices, letting you easily share content with
people and between your phone, tablet and Chromebook. It even works with
Windows PCs, now available in Beta globally. And for casting that makes
streaming video and audio to your devices simple, with support for over 3,000
apps
Find My
Device will be updated later this year to support a wider range of devices from
different brands, from headphones, tablets and more. And Google is working to protect
your privacy and safety by putting unknown tracker alerts, which will tell you
if an unrecognized tracking tag is moving with you, and help you locate it.
And not
forgetting the best of Android: personal customization. The New Material You in
Android 14 will offer a variety of customizing features like creating Cinematic
Wallpapers, Creating Generative AI Wallpapers and choices of lock screen clock
styles.
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| Generative AI Wallpaper |
Pixel by Google
The first Pixel
Portfolio for 2023 was announced with a range of devices. The first device is the
new Pixel A series addition: Google Pixel 7A, followed by the Pixel Tablet,
which was teased last year. But that was not all...Pixel’s first foldable was
unveiled namely Pixel Fold. See the images below:
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| Google Pixel 7a. $499 |
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| Google Pixel Tablet. $499 |
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| Google Pixel Fold. $1799 |
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| The complete Google Pixel Portfolio. |
Conclusion
The keynote
was followed by a series of breakout sessions and workshops where attendees
could learn more about the products and technologies announced at the event.
These sessions were led by Google experts and gave attendees a chance to get
hands-on experience with the latest developments in the tech world.
As the event came to a close, the attendees left with a sense of excitement and wonder, eager to try out the new products and technologies they had learned about. The Google I/O 2023 event had been a massive success, showcasing Google's commitment to innovation and its position as a leader in the technology industry.
