I ranked the AI features announced at Google I/O from most useful to gimmicky

On the I/O stage, Google CEO Sundar Pichai gave two examples that showcased the characteristic’s usefulness. Within the first instance, a person requested, “What’s my license plate quantity?” Then, Gemini pulled the quantity, utilizing context to establish which automotive belonged to the person. Within the second, a person who needed to see pictures of their daughter’s progress as a swimmer over time had Gemini robotically package deal the highlights for them by merely asking it to. 

With the quantity of pictures we take and save each day, this kind of help in sorting, organizing, and packaging content material is extraordinarily useful. Google shared that the characteristic will likely be coming to Google Pictures later this summer time and even teased that extra capabilities are to return.

2. Gmail Q&A characteristic

This characteristic was additionally mentioned solely briefly close to the keynote’s finish, making it simple to overlook; nevertheless, it solves a real-world drawback. Through the Google Workspace portion of the keynote, the corporate introduced three new options coming to Gmail on cell, together with Gmail Q&A. 

Because the title implies, the Gmail Q&A characteristic allows customers to talk with Gemini concerning the context of their emails inside the Gmail cell app, permitting them to ask particular questions on their inbox. 

Additionally: 5 thrilling Android options Google simply introduced at I/O 2024

For instance, in the course of the instance offered on the Google I/O stage, the person requested Gemini to match roofer restore bids by worth and availability. Gemini was then capable of pull the data from a number of inboxes and show it for the person, as seen within the picture under. 

Due to my line of labor (and my procuring habits), my inbox is flooded with emails each day. Having a instrument that may conversationally reply questions on my a number of inboxes on my cell phone is a game-changer, taking the help supplied by e-mail AI summarizers to the following stage. The characteristic will likely be launched to Google Lab customers in late July, 

3. Venture Astra/Gemini Dwell

One of many keynote’s most spectacular moments was when Google Deepmind performed the video of its Venture Astra, which confirmed an AI voice assistant that may assist with visible prompts utilizing the person’s digital camera, as seen within the video under.  

Venture Astra is a challenge from Google DeepMind meant to reshape the way forward for AI assistants by giving voice assistants consciousness of a person’s surroundings. The challenge is being infused into Gemini Dwell, a cell expertise the place customers can have conversations with Gemini that embrace the context of their environment. 

Additionally: I demoed Google’s Venture Astra and it felt like the way forward for generative AI (till it did not)

Within the Gemini Dwell expertise, customers can also select from varied natural-sounding voices and interrupt them mid-conversation, making these exchanges extra pure and intuitive. 

Despite the fact that customers can’t reap the benefits of the whole multimodal expertise of Gemini Dwell but, with Google including the complete expertise later this yr, this expertise has the potential to remodel the voice assistant expertise. This results in my subsequent level. 

4. Google Assistant: demoted, not useless

Through the occasion, Google slyly slipped in that Gemini might quickly exchange Google Assistant because the default AI assistant throughout Android telephones. Regardless of Google’s refined point out, it is a big deal as a result of it’ll impression Android prospects past the Pixel person base and the way they work together with their voice assistants.

The change can also be vital as a result of it ought to enhance the standard of help, as Gemini is able to superior language processing. The plans for Gemini look promising, with Google sharing that the AI will finally be overlayed throughout varied companies and apps, offering multimodal and on-screen assist when requested.

5. Gemini Superior improve to Gemini 1.5 Professional

Google first launched Gemini’s premium subscription tier — Gemini Superior — in February, offering customers with entry to Google’s newest AI fashions and longer conversations. At Google I/O, the corporate amplified the choices even additional, with one of many greatest upgrades being entry to Gemini 1.5 Professional. 

Gemini 1.5 Professional offers the general public a context window of 1 million tokens. To place that quantity into perspective, customers now can add paperwork of as much as 1,500 pages, 100 emails, or 96 Cheesecake Manufacturing facility menus, as Pichai talked about on stage. Google claims that it’s the largest context window of any broadly accessible shopper chatbot.

Additionally: What does having a protracted context window imply for an AI mannequin?

Though I do not assume a median person wants this kind of window, when you occur to be a superuser who wants help with giant quantities of knowledge, this added context window is a sport changer. customers can entry Gemini Superior via the Google One AI Premium plan, which prices $20 month-to-month as soon as the trial expires. 

6. Veo and Imagen 3 

At Google I/O, Google launched its most superior AI text-to-image generator, Imagen 3, and text-to-video generator, Veo. Each supply vital upgrades from their predecessors, with higher-quality outputs and better constancy to customers’ prompts. The fashions are being previewed with choose creators; to get entry to both of those fashions, customers have to enroll on a waitlist. 

Despite the fact that each fashions look extraordinarily promising and drive ahead AI  picture and video era, the rationale they’re ranked towards the underside of the checklist is that they do not appear so as to add a lot worth to folks’s on a regular basis lives or workflow — except you’re a artistic skilled working with video and picture era every single day. For non-creatives, it’s a cool instrument to have in your again pocket when the chance arises. 

7. AI Overviews in Google Search 

Final up is the AI Overviews characteristic in Google Search. I positioned AI Overviews on the backside of the checklist as a result of though some would possibly discover the AI-generated insights on the high of Search outcomes useful, there was no actual have to push it onto all US English-based searchers because the broader rollout appears to be fixing a difficulty that wasn’t there to start with. 

Additionally: The 4 greatest Google Search options introduced at Google I/O 2024

The system Google provided earlier than having to opt-in to the Search Generative Expertise (SGE) to entry the AI Overviews appeared extra helpful since you might simply entry them when you needed them, however you did not have to when you needed your search expertise to stay unchanged.