Artificial intelligence (AI) has exploded in popularity in recent months, spurred by the launch of ChatGPT last November. The ensuing AI arms race has ushered in a technology renaissance, with AI making headlines.
Nowhere is this more evident than in the halls of big tech companies. microsoft ignited the battle with a $13 billion investment in ChatGPT creator OpenAI and subsequent integration with the Bing search engine.
I have no intention of abandoning my years of experience, alphabetof (Google 1.19%) (GOOG 1.16%) Google kicked off its 2023 I/O developer conference with a slew of announcements and over 35 blog posts and press releases about bringing AI to everything the company debuted. Here’s an overview of the series of AI-powered announcements:
Image Source: Getty Images.
New and improved generative AI
Large Language Models (LLM) provide the foundation for generative AI, and this technology powers the next generation of chatbots and other AI capabilities.
Google has announced the latest version of its Pathways Language Model (PaLM) LLM, which is “highly trained” on multilingual texts. This new and improved PaLM 2 has the ability to “understand, generate and translate nuanced texts such as idioms, poems and riddles”. Perhaps most importantly, new models are being trained on more languages than just mathematical and scientific papers, imbuing them with better reasoning power and more common sense. They also have the ability to pass the Mastery Level Language Proficiency Test.
The company has also created a scaled-down version of PaLM 2 that can run on smartphones.
bard facelift
PaLM is already being used by the company’s chatbot, Bard, to write code, debug existing code, and even explain code. Byrd is now undergoing a major makeover. Google’s flagship chatbot has been upgraded to the new PaLM 2 LLM, which will soon serve more images along with text in response to queries. The company is also integrating Google Lens directly into Bard and will soon allow users to include images in prompts for more robust and creative responses.
Additionally, after a limited release in March, Google has removed the waitlist, lifted Bard usage restrictions, and made it generally available in over 180 countries and territories.
Bring AI to everything
Google has built its underlying AI technology into 25 products and features.
This technology powers a new feature in Workspace called “Help Me Write” that helps you draft replies in Gmail. Write sales pitches, essays and job descriptions in Google Docs. Fill out the spreadsheet in Google Sheets. Users can create images from text descriptions in both Google Slides and Meet. Maps will be able to display not only routes, but also traffic conditions and weather. Magic Editor, a new tool in Google Photos, helps reposition subjects in a photo while magnifying an image that was only partially included in the original shot.
The company also announced a host of new AI-powered tools that will be brought to the cloud. One of the most important of these is Duet AI for Cloud, a collaboration tool that uses machine learning to help cloud users program and write code, provide suggestions, and review and inspect completed code. It’s Google Cloud. This is just the beginning, as Google promises additional tools in the coming months.
New and improved search
Google Search will also be improved. In the coming weeks, the company will debut a new feature called Perspectives. When users search for topics that “could benefit from other people’s experiences,” the Perspectives filter appears in the results. Tap a filter to see videos, social media, discussion board posts, and short and long videos to give you a more comprehensive view of your topic.
Google also plans to start testing an improved version of traditional search that leverages generative AI. General users can now sign up to test new features in Search Lab, and will be entering early access soon. Users can ask complex questions like this example provided by Google. “Which is better, Bryce Canyon or Arches, for a family with children under 3 and a dog?” included.
Search can also include images, product descriptions, ratings, reviews and prices to help you make complex decisions such as product selection and purchase.
Access to Search Labs will initially be available in the US via Chrome Desktop or the Google App.
AI for Android and Pixel
Finally, Google is working on a number of generative AI tools for Pixel and Android powered devices. The company is introducing a new collection of generated wallpapers, custom emojis, and a cinematic mode that creates short movies from your photos. The aforementioned Magic Compose also offers AI-powered suggestions for responding to text, showing whole sentences, not just words or short phrases. The company said it has redesigned a total of more than 50 apps to improve user experience, with AI at the core of its improvements.
Google says the update will roll out to 3 billion active Android devices, including smartphones, watches, tablets, cars and even TVs.
a whole new world
ChatGPT’s debut captured the public’s imagination, and the injection of the technology into Microsoft’s Bing has led some investors to conclude that Alphabet has fallen behind in the AI race. This ignored the company’s long history and existing AI expertise.
Yesterday’s numerous announcements show that investors shouldn’t be dismissing Google too soon when it comes to AI, as the company has a wealth of AI in its pipeline.
