Google is expected to further power its popular online service with artificial intelligence on Wednesday as it scrambles to catch up to rival Microsoft despite concerns that AI poses a threat to society.
A leak ahead of the internet giant’s annual developer conference has revealed that Google will also be showing off new gadgets, including a foldable smartphone, and revealing additional devices in the Pixel series.
Most attention will center on Google’s expected release of a stronger version of its Bard-generated AI that works across platforms.
Microsoft stepped up pressure last week by expanding public access to its generative AI programs, including the Bing chatbot, putting the Bill Gates-founded company back on the radar as a tech behemoth.
The service has been hardened to handle images as well as text, and Microsoft plans to add video to it, executives said.
Google is expected to follow suit with an announcement about AI at I/O, its annual software developer conference, just a short walk from its headquarters in Mountain View, Silicon Valley.
According to media reports, a more powerful large-scale language model built into the heart of Bard will likely be unveiled, along with greater use of AI power in Gmail, work software, search, and more.
Large-scale language models involve machine learning applied to large amounts of data collected from the internet.
Generative AI can prompt computer code to rapidly feed written tasks, ranging from poems to homework. You can also ask to create an image or video.
AI risks include the potential for fraud, such as voice clones, deepfake videos, and persuasive written messages.
A prominent computer scientist, dubbed the “godfather of artificial intelligence,” recently left Google to speak out about the dangers of technology.
Jeffrey Hinton said at a recent Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) forum that it makes sense to stop developing AI, but given the fierce competition between countries and companies involved in the field. He added that the idea was sweet.
Hinton, who developed some of the technologies underlying AI systems, argued that existential threats from AI were “serious and near.”
In March, various experts called for a moratorium on developing powerful AI systems to allow time to ensure safety.
The open letter, signed by more than 1,000 people, including tech billionaire Elon Musk and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, was facilitated by OpenAI’s generative AI technology, a Microsoft-backed company.
folding cell phone
This I/O gathering is aimed at software developers creating apps and services that fit into Google’s “ecosystem” and should include details about the latest Android operating system for mobile devices.
A recent tweak to Android suggests it’s adapted to phones with bendable and foldable screens.
Google recently posted a short video clip teasing a foldable phone that is likely to be officially unveiled at the conference.
Along with the new Pixel tablet, Google will also be showing off a lower-priced version of its Pixel 7 smartphone, according to leaks over the past few weeks.
Google could get a glimpse of the possibility of introducing a Pixel 8 phone as a new flagship model to compete with the iPhone on the premium end market.
Google’s latest quarterly earnings beat expectations after it cut 12,000 jobs, or 6% of its workforce, in January.
