“We’ve been doing things with AI for a long time as a company. And the advancements in generative AI are pretty exciting,” says Sameer Samat, vp of product administration for Android and the Google Play app retailer. “But these aren’t that old in terms of putting them into products. So when you talk about productizing all of this, it’s extremely early days.” 

Computer Talk

Another space of Android getting the GenAI remedy: messages. This summer season, Google’s Messages app will likely be imbued with a Magic Compose characteristic, which makes use of generative AI to supply recommended responses primarily based on the context of your messages. A whole lot of messaging apps already do a model of this by predicting which phrase you would possibly wish to use subsequent, however Magic Compose will generate complete sentences (and can helpfully counsel them earlier than you hit Send). 

Magic Compose may change the tone of your message, if you happen to immediate it to take action, making one thing sound extra formal, extra poetic, or extra like Shakespeare (actually). Burke says that is constructed on what’s referred to as a few-shot coaching mannequin, through which a mannequin can be taught to carry out an app-specific operate primarily based on only a handful of coaching examples. 

Ben Bajarin, chief govt and principal analyst at Creative Strategies, says Google’s restricted rollout of generative AI on Android is a brilliant strategy. “At companies like Apple, and even at Microsoft, there is a genuine concern around this technology. So Google seems to be erring on caution and making sure this is trustworthy before bringing it to billions of customers,” he says. 

Bajarin additionally identified the computing limitations that also exist round these applied sciences. “On-device AI requires a tremendous amount of computing power,” he says. “Rolling it out to native software will require using the local processing power and not the cloud. If you look at some of the basic demos of Stable Diffusion that Qualcomm has shown, it really highlights the lack of native computing power on our mobile devices.” 

Android’s new generative AI and customization options are simply a part of a wider software program replace. Android 14, which started rolling out as beta software program in February, may even embrace assist for bigger screens (just like the Pixel Fold), battery optimization options, and enhanced security measures, like password-replacing passkeys. Google mentioned immediately that it counts greater than 3 billion energetic Android units across the globe, spanning telephones, tablets, vehicles, and TVs. On the TV entrance, Google claims that Android TV OS is the highest streaming platform on the planet by shipments. And WearOS, its wearable units software program, is fast-growing. 

On stage immediately, Samat emphasised interconnectivity throughout totally different {hardware} units, whether or not that’s by giving individuals the flexibility to solid media to non-Google {hardware} or to search out their Apple AirPods extra simply from their Pixel cellphone. Samat famous that greater than 800 million telephones now use RCS messaging, an ordinary that Google helps—and that Apple has famously withheld assist for. Google executives additionally reminded the I/O crowd immediately that the corporate is working with Samsung to construct an Android-based XR system. If you’ll be able to’t beat ’em, be a part of them? 

Unless it’s generative AI merchandise. Then, if you happen to’re Google, the strain is on.