Reading Time: 4 minutesIn case you missed it, we have the highlights from the much anticipated annual developer conference, Google I/O 2023! This year, Google focused on "making AI helpful for everyone" by introducing several new AI-powered features and services designed to make people’s lives easier and more efficient.
The Future of AI
One of the biggest themes at Google I/O 2023 was the future of AI. Google CEO Sundar Pichai gave a keynote address in which he talked about how AI is going to change the world in the years to come. Pichai said that AI has the potential to “solve some of the world’s biggest problems,” such as climate change and poverty. He also said that AI is “going to change the way we live and work.”
Pichai’s comments reflect the excitement and optimism that many people have about the future of AI. However, there are also concerns about the potential risks of AI. For example, some people worry that AI could be used to create autonomous weapons that could kill without human intervention. Others worry that AI could be used to create mass surveillance systems that could track and monitor people’s every move.
Google is aware of these risks, and Pichai said that the company is committed to developing AI in a responsible way. Google has a set of AI principles that guide its research and development. These principles include:
- Be socially beneficial
- Avoid creating or reinforcing unfair bias
- Be built and tested for safety
- Be accountable to people
- Incorporate privacy design principles
- Uphold high standards of scientific excellence
- Be made available for uses that accord with these principles
Google is also working with other organizations to develop best practices for the responsible development and use of AI. These organizations include the Partnership on AI, the IEEE Global Initiative on Ethics of Autonomous and Intelligent Systems, and the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University.
AI Across Google Workspace
Google Workspace is a suite of productivity apps that includes Gmail, Calendar, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Meet, Chat, and Drive. Google is using AI to improve all of these apps.
For example, Gmail uses AI to suggest relevant phrases and sentences as you type, and Google Sheets uses AI to help you identify trends and patterns in your data.
Google is also using AI to make its Workspace apps more accessible to people with disabilities. For example, Google Docs now has a new feature called Live Transcribe that can automatically transcribe audio into text in real time.
Duet AI
One of the most exciting new AI features in Google Workspace is Duet AI. Duet AI is a new AI-powered tool that is being integrated into Google Workspace. It is designed to help users be more productive and efficient by providing assistance with tasks such as writing, editing, and formatting documents.
Duet AI works by analyzing the content of a document and suggesting relevant changes or additions. It can also help users find information quickly and easily by providing links to relevant websites or documents.
Duet AI is still under development, but it has the potential to be a valuable tool for users of Google Workspace. It can help users save time and improve the quality of their work.
Here are some specific examples of how Duet AI can be used:
- Writing: Duet AI can help users write more effectively by suggesting relevant phrases and sentences as they type. It can also help users identify grammatical errors and improve the overall clarity of their writing.
- Editing: Duet AI can help users edit their documents more efficiently by suggesting changes to grammar, spelling, and punctuation. It can also help users find and fix errors in their documents.
- Formatting: Duet AI can help users format their documents more quickly and easily by suggesting relevant styles and templates. It can also help users create tables, charts, and other visual elements.
Google Bard Updates
Google also announced a number of updates to Google Bard, its AI-powered chatbot. These updates include:
- New features: Google Bard is now able to do more things, including:
- Answer your questions in a comprehensive and informative way, even if they are open ended, challenging, or strange.
- Generate different creative text formats of text content, like poems, code, scripts, musical pieces, email, letters, etc.
- Translate between over 200 languages.
- More accessible: Google Bard is now available in more languages, and it is easier to use on mobile devices.
- More privacy-preserving: Google Bard has been updated to protect your privacy. Your conversations with Google Bard are not stored or shared with anyone else.
Removing the waitlist
Google has announced that it will be removing the waitlist for Google Bard in the coming weeks. This means that anyone will be able to access Google Bard, regardless of whether they are a trusted tester or not.
This is a major step forward for Google Bard, and it will make it available to a wider range of people.
Other Announcements from Google I/O 2023
In addition to talking about the future of AI, Google also made a number of other announcements at I/O 2023, including:
- The launch of Android 13, the next major version of Google’s mobile operating system. Android 13 is packed with new features and improvements, including a new design language, new privacy features, and improved performance.
- The announcement of the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, Google’s next generation of flagship smartphones. The Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro feature a new design, new camera systems, and the new Tensor chip from Google.
- The launch of Google Wallet, a new digital wallet that will replace Google Pay. Google Wallet will support a variety of payment methods, including credit cards, debit cards, and loyalty cards.
- The announcement of the Pixel Watch, Google’s first-ever smartwatch. The Pixel Watch features a circular design, a rotating bezel, and a variety of health and fitness tracking features.
- The launch of Google Pixel Tablet, a new tablet that will launch sometime in 2023. The Pixel Tablet will run Android 13 and will feature a design that is similar to the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro.
- Updates to Google Maps, including a new immersive view for routes that lets users see a 360-degree view of their route, including traffic and weather conditions.
- Updates to Google Photos, including a new feature called Magic Eraser that lets users remove unwanted objects from photos, and Magic Compose, which helps you create more visually appealing photos by suggesting different compositions for your shots.
- Updates to Google Search, including a new feature called Perspective that lets users get answers from actual humans.
Catch the entire Google I/O 2023 livestream on demand:
