Google I/O recap: New 'Project Astra' AI agent revealed along with Gemini and Android updates (2024)

That's a wrap! This was a confident Google I/O for the company.It's in an AI sweet spot. Yes, OpenAI is giving Google a run for its money, but CEO Sundar Pichai seems pretty happy about the battle ahead, with plenty of updates on the way for Gemini, Google Search, and Android. Business Insider USA

Sundar Pichai says the word "AI" was said 120 times during today's Google I/O keynote. Google's CEO takes the stage to close out the keynote, and got some laughs as he reveals he asked Gemini to count how many times "AI" was said today (120 times).Pichai says he has a feeling that someone out there may be counting how many times Google mentioned AI today, and since a big theme today is letting Google do the work for you, it went ahead and counted so that you don't have to.The count then changed to 121. Business Insider USA

As we near the close of the keynote, Google talks about its open-source models, Gemma, and broader safety considerations. Toward the end of the keynote, Google discusses a series of open-source AI models called Gemma.This is a very different approach from the main Gemini AI models. The Gemini offerings are closed tightly. Outside developers can't see the code behind Gemini, or the weights that Google used to build these models. You just have to use Gemini off the shelf, and really through Google's Cloud for enterprise use cases.Contrast this with Meta, which has mostly open-sourced its Llama model. That's way more open than Google. This means there's a less clear way that Meta will make money from its huge investments in Llama models.Google's path is more clear: It gets subscribers and cloud users to just pay cold hard cash to use these tools. This is partly why the Gemma open-source models seemed more like an afterthought at the end of the IO keynote. Now, Meta may get a bigger developer community coalescing around its Llama models. That may pay off down the line. But for now, most of the top AI companies are taking the closed route in AI. Including, ironically "Open"AI.On the safety front, Google says it's been "red-teaming" AI updates to stress test them for vulnerabilities ahead of release.When it comes to combating misinformation and increasing security, Google's SynthID helps watermark AI images. Business Insider USA

We're getting into some specific Android AI features, like Circle to Search... The Android presentation comes at the end of the keynote at this year's IO conference, which shows how much Google's priorities have changed lately. (There's another whole Android developer event later on Tuesday, so it's not entirely a backwater still).But a lot of the talk today is about how Gemini AI models can be used easily on Android smartphones.Talking specific features, there's updates to the cool "Circle to Search" feature announced earlier this year that will help users pinpoint their queries without having to open the Google app. Circle to Search is available today, but exclusively on Android. Business Insider USA

Next up, Android news! Android is getting updated with "AI at its core," Google's president of the Android ecosystem, Sameer Samat, tells the crowd.The three main changes coming to Android, Samat says, are:AI-powered search at your fingertipsGemini becoming your new AI assistant on Androidon-device AI to unlock new experiences Business Insider USA

Google shows off "Gems" — custom Gemini bots. Sissie Hsiao, another Google exec, introduces "Gems" — customized versions of Gemini.Basically, you can easily set up a specific and specialized Gemini AI buddy that can help be your running coach, for example, or a sous chef.You tap to create them, write your instructions once, and come back whenever you need it.Gems are designed to be helpful when you have a specific way you want to use Gemini again and again.They'll roll out in the coming months to Gemini Advanced subscribers. Business Insider USA

Tony Vincent takes the stage to talk about Google AI Teammate Next, we're seeing a demo of Google AI Teammate. Virtual teammates can be added to the work chat as a record keeper."Chip," the virtual teammate used in Google's example, is that coworker you can go to with those questions you don't want to ask your manager.It keeps a memory of conversations to be able to call back to moments you might've missed.You can assign it jobs, including monitoring and tracking projects. You can ask it questions like, "Are we on track to launch?" It will then come back with a response outlining a clear timeline and it can also flag potential issues. You can also customize the teammate based on your team's needs. Business Insider USA

We're onto some work use cases for Gemini. We're seeing updates to Google Workspace and how Gemini can plug into Gmail and other Google products and help you be more efficient at work.This is another example of how Google has an edge against AI companies like OpenAI. It has applications used by billions of people already, and AI models can just make those services more useful (and therefore more valuable).For example, VP of Google Workspace Aparna Pappu shows off Side Panel Assistant, which will read through all those emails you might've missed. Side Panel Assistant will organize email attachments and information into Google Sheets. It can also summarize emails and suggest replies based on the context of the conversation.Once you show Gemini what you want it to do, it can remember and continue the workflow moving forward. Business Insider USA

Here's what the new Google Search looks like... Google Search exec Liz Reid lays out new AI features for Google's most important product.This is the moment at Google IO where other internet businesses hold their breath and wait to see if Google's upcoming changes could imapct their business modelsThis year, Reid introduced a new "AI organized" search results page that she said "breaks AI out of the box."Google Search will use more AI to put results into helpful clusters.In one example, Reid said Google might suggest restaurants with live music even if the searcher had not thought of that. It will also take into account more variables from Google's huge store of digital information. For instance, the time of the year. You search for romantic restaurants in Dallas. Its warm in Dallas this time of year, so Googlesuggests rooftop restaurants. Reid said this new type of search is coming soon to categories such as dining and recipes, movies, hotels, books, shopping. This should cause concern for companies such as Flixster, Booking.com, and maybe even Amazon in the and shopping and books realms.You'll start to see the features rolling out to Google Search in the coming weeks. You can opt into Google's early search preview for a chance to be among the first to access it. Business Insider USA

We're onto Google's big money-maker: Google Search. CEO Sundar Pichai says generative AI will bring big changes to its most popular product, Google Search.It's time to see what the future of Googling something looks like."Google will do the Googling for you," Google's head of search Liz Reid says.Research that might have taken you hours can now be done in seconds, she says.AI Overviews will power Google Search to pull the best answers to complex questions.Google uses "multi-step reasoning" to answer your entire questions without having to breakit down into more than one search.The new Google Search will help you meal plan, map out a date, and trips. Business Insider USA

This is big — Google's Veo text-to-video generator will compete against OpenAI's Sora. Google unveils Veo, Google's new AI video generator that will square off against OpenAI's Sora.Veo can understand film terminology like aerial shots and timelapses. It will live in Google's VideoFX app.We're also shown a video of Donald Glover experimenting with Veo to make some high-end AI videos. He's a fan."Everybody's going to become a director and everyone should be a director," Glover says. "Because at the heart of all this is just storytelling. The closer we are to being able to tell each other our stories the more we'll understand each other." Business Insider USA

Google reveals a new version of its Imagen image generator. Say hello to Imagen 3, the latest version of Google's AI image generator.Google emphasizes its ability to capture smaller details and render text. Business Insider USA

Wow! The Project Astra demo is incredible and gets big applause from the crowd. We're watching the new Project Astra AI agent, which is powered by Gemini, in action.Its spatial understanding and memory are pretty impressive, drawing the biggest applause so far of the keynote.In the demo, a Google employee walks around the DeepMind office in London, which Project Astra recognizes, and asks the Gemini if it remembers where she left her glasses.Project Astra replied that she'd left them next to an apple on her desk in the office. She walks over there and, lo and behold, there are her glasses by the apple on her desk.The AI agent "remembered" the glasses in the background of previous frames from the phone's live video feed.(If Google's AI agent can help regular people never lose their glasses ever again — or their keys or other stuff at home or at work — then I think we might have a killer app.) Business Insider USA

Google CEO Sundar Pichai takes the stage, saying the company is fully in its "Gemini era." Google's main AI model is called Gemini.Pichai recaps Gemini 1.5 Pro and how powerful it is.Today, "more than 1.5 million developers" use Gemini models across Google's tools, Pichai says.Sundar talks about Google's most important single product: Search. It's the most profitable business on the internet, so he quite rightly goes to this early. The company has been carefully weaving generative AI features into Search in the past year. But that's only been a side test. Now, the big move is happening.Pichai announced AI Overviews, a new genAI overlay on search results. It's partly based on the Search Generative Experience, which was Google's AI test run for Search in the AI era.A fully revamped "AI Overview" is rolling out in the US and other countries soon, Pichai says. Business Insider USA

Musician and YouTuber Marc Rebillet is onstage as a warm-up act, using AI to mix some new tunes. The musician, who is popular on TikTok and YouTube, shows off how a DJ could use Google'sMusic FX DJ AI to switch up a track."Something like that," he says. "The machine is good. It's helping you.""Entirely unscripted, nothing planned," he says. Business Insider USA