Google I/O 2024 kicked off with exciting announcements about its advanced AI model, Gemini. This model is set to enhance various Google services, including Search, Photos, Workspace, and Android. Here’s a rundown of the key announcements:

Gemini’s New Capabilities

  • Gemini 1.5 Pro: The latest update to Google’s AI model brings improved functionality and is now available to all developers globally. Consumers can access Gemini 1.5 Pro with a one-million context limit across 35 languages through Gemini Advanced.

AI Enhancements in Search and Photos

  • AI Overviews in Search: Google is expanding AI-powered overviews in Search to all users in the U.S. this week, with more countries to follow soon.
  • “Ask Photos” Feature: A new Gemini-powered feature for Google Photos allows users to search their entire photo library with complex prompts. More details will be released later this year.

Gemini in Google Workspace

  • Workspace Integration: The Gemini 1.5 Pro model is being rolled out to paid-tier Workspace customers. A new side-panel similar to Microsoft’s Copilot will provide easy access to AI across apps like Gmail, Drive, Docs, and Sheets.
  • Gemini AI Teammate: This AI assistant for Workspace apps can be integrated into group chats and will have its own Google Account.

Project Astra

  • Multimodal AI Agent: Project Astra is a new AI agent with real-time spatial understanding, capable of processing data from physical spaces and responding to prompts based on visual inputs from your device’s camera. It will power Gemini products starting later this year.

AI-Powered Search Features

  • Video Analysis: Google Search will soon analyze and search video inputs, enhancing its current image search capabilities.
  • Contextual Understanding: The search engine will break longer queries into smaller parts for better understanding, leveraging Gemini’s AI for improved results.

New Android Features

  • Circle to Search: This feature will now allow users to solve mathematical problems by circling them, with AI providing step-by-step solutions.
  • Smarter AI Assistant: The Gemini AI assistant for Android will understand video content on the display and answer questions based on the video or document (e.g., PDF files).
  • Live Feature: Gemini will now understand and interact with live videos in real-time for more natural conversations.

Custom Chatbots and Scam Call Detection

  • Gems: Advanced subscribers will soon be able to create custom Gemini chatbots for specific tasks, similar to OpenAI’s custom GPTs.
  • Scam Call Detection: Using the on-device Gemini Nano model, certain Android smartphones will detect and notify users of potential scam calls based on conversation patterns.

Google Veo

  • Generative AI Model: Google announced Veo, a new AI model capable of generating 1080p resolution videos from text, image, and video prompts. Users can further edit these videos with additional prompts.

These innovations showcase Google’s commitment to making AI more helpful and accessible across its ecosystem, enhancing user experience in various aspects of daily life.