Here are the main takeaways so far from the event.
Read on below for a blow-by-blow account of the keynote speech.
Welcome to our Google I/O liveblog!
Ill be running this live blog as the hype builds for what Google is going to show today.
So, whats everyone looking forward to at this years I/O event?
So, Ill be interested to see if Google can change that.
Could we see some new Pixel smartphones as well?
Theres certainly convincing rumors that the Pixel 9 series will be launched today.
Ill be interested in seeing what Google does here.
Ive had Pixel phones since the original, and my last handset was the Pixel Pro 7.
So, I like Pixels a lot, especially how they come with relatively bloat-free versions of Android.
If Google releases a Pixel 9 that surpasses that, I might be a bit upset.
Id also love to see some cool new Chromebooks.
Maybe a showcase on how Chromebook Plus devices can stand out amongst thebest Chromebookson the market.
But, could Google I/O change that?
Sadly, Google has never released a followup to the Pixelbook Go.
It seems to have abandoned making its own Chromebooks, which is a real shame.
The Pixelbook lineup showed how Chromebooks could be more than just budget laptops with a limited operating system.
Yep, they were essentially Chromebook Plus devices before Chromebook Plus was a thing.
So, todays Google I/O keynote could be the perfect time to resurrect the Pixelbook.
But, if Google was to launch a surprise Pixelbook, it would make me very happy indeed.
Im also a fan of thePixel Watch.
Its one of the few Wear OS-powered smartwatches that offers excellent features, good performance and an attractive design.
I skipped thePixel Watch 2as my OG model still runs fine.
However, most rumors suggest a Pixel Watch 3 launch will be later on this month.
The company will also likely not mention the leaks, though who knows?
Maybe the leak, if accurate, forces Google to show a quick preview of the phones early.
So speaking of tablets, I’d love to see Google give the fondle-slate version of Android some love.
What do I mean by that?
But from Android 15 we could get an idea of what to expect from the ninth-generation Pixel phones.
Oh and look who’s popped up!
It’s our very own Philip Berne at Google I/O.
It’s Matt, taking the live blog back after a short break!
We are just over an hour out from the Google I/O keynote!
Our US phones editor is on the ground!
Here’s some pictures he’s sent us, using a Pixel 8a.
People are taking their seats!
We are now around an hour from the event starting.
Right, almost 30 minutes until the show.
There’s a guy making some weird noises using Google’s generative AI tools.
It’s… uh… a choice.
The crowd don’t seem to into it.
“It’s too early for this,” Phil tells us.
He’s now shooting t-shirts into the crowd.
Hopefully Phil catches one!
Oooh something is happening!
It wasn’t really anything we’ve not seen/heard before.
Oooh Android Auto hint in the countdown?
Here is Google CEO, Sundar Pichai, talking about Gemini.
He’s really pushing how revolutionary AI, and especially Gemini, is.
More than 1.5 million developers use Gemini, apparently.
What is AI Overviews?
He’s now talking about how to find a photo in Google Photos.
Known as ‘Ask Photos’, this tool will come later in the summer.
It’s times like this you remember that Google I/O is an event primarily aimed at developers.
Now we’ve gone on to Google Workspace and Gemini.
you’re free to also ask Gemini to give you highlights of meetings in Google Meet.
It can then draft replies.
If you and your work are all-in on Google Workplace.
“It’s basically Google’s version of the Eras Tour with fewer costume changes.”
#GoogleIO pic.twitter.com/sVeC7LL0C2May 14, 2024
We are now being told how Gemini can help your kids do homework.
Again, impressive, but this is putting a lot of pressure on the accuracy and dependability of Gemini.
Getting some more use cases.
Shopping for shoes is the first one.
Sounds cool but… will it actually work like that?
‘Making AI helpful for everyone’ - Sundar Pichai.
To be fair, this is what companies really need to do.
And it’s something I’ve not yet seen from the likes of OpenAI and Microsoft.
Another reference to 2 million tokens!!!
I don’t know what they mean.
It’s a high number though.
Big number = good, yeah?
Project Astra announced - a multi-modal AI that can better understand the context of your requests.
This is impressive - they are asking various questions and the AI is answering in a realistic manner.
It can even tell you where you left things, apparently.
This would, of course, mean you’re constantly filming yourself and your home.
I don’t think many people will love that.
One unit they mentioned that could be used are smart glasses.
Could this be a hint of a future Google Glass sequel?!
Coming to Google services like Gemini later this year.
Now we are being told about generative AI music-making tools.
Now talking about Veo, a generative video model.
you’re free to prompt for things to create videos - using a tool called VideoFX.
Could this replace human artists?
That is the worry.
Now we have Donald Glover (on video).
He says with these tools anyone can be a director - and should be.
I admire Glover a lot, but that is quite a statement…
Now talking about CPUs - Trillium.
Will be available for cloud customers in 2024.
Also will be offering Nvidia Blackwell GPU capabilities in 2025.
Now talking about an AI hypercomputer.
Now Sundar Pichai is wrapping things up with the Gemini and AI tools.
Google search is now “Generative AI at the scale of human creativity,” apparently.
Now we are hearing about how Google Search is going to change.
“Google is going to Google that for you” with the power of Gemini.
“Search in the Gemini era.”
Google is VERY bullish about Gemini, it seems.
By the end of the year, AI Overviews will come to over a billion people in Google Search.
Research that can take hours will be done by Google in a few seconds, apparently.
For people like like researching things and finding new things, this might not be that thrilling.
But for boring things, it’s pretty cool.
you might now get an AI-organized search results page, with Gemini organizing results into useful ‘clusters.’
Now we’re talking about ‘Ask with video’.
It’ll be rolling out to Google Search in the next few weeks.
Gemini-powered Side panel in Google Workspace now.
Google is excited about this.
Powered by Gemini Pro 1.5.
We are now looking at Gmail for mobile.
Not sure if this will be for every user, or just Workspace users.
As someone who struggles to find certain emails when I need information, this could be very useful.
I’ve kind of accepted that Google will be reading my emails anyway.
It’s a lot like Copilot’s integration in Windows 11.
Which I have used once, then never again.
Hopefully Google makes Gemini and Side panel more useful.
Now talking about ‘Virtual AI team mate’.
They have an account, name and even personality.
So it’s possible for you to then talk to it via instant messaging.
The virtual team mate can then search conversations and gives you answers.
This seems both cool, and a little creepy.
Unsurprisingly, Google doesn’t touch on these issues.
This is what will likely replace Google Assistant at some point.
Now they are talking about Gems.
Seriously, it looks like Gemini is going to be EVERYWHERE for Android users.
There’s support for over 35 languages as well.
Circle to Search gets a shoutout.
First shown at Samsung’s Unpacked event.
This feature is one of the ways Android is being revolutionized.
Now we’re going into Gemini for Android.
We’re getting a demo on the Pixel 8a.
Gemini app now appears over your open app, so your workflow isn’t disruptive.
It will also show you where in the PDF it got the information from.
Gemini Nano with Multimodality is coming later this year.
Sounds like it’ll debut in new Pixel smartphones.
We’re being shown how this can help accessibility - this is very cool.
Gemini can detect if you get suspicious phone calls that might attempt to scam you and warn you.
It seems it can understand the conversation you’re having on your phone.
I am not a dev, so I have no idea.
We’re now being shown how easy it is to create apps with Gemini AI features.
Google is still talking about AI.
But it’s now touching on ethics, which is interesting.
Google wants to build AI responsibly by addressing the risks and maximising the potential to help people.
We’ll be digging into this after the keynote, as there is a lot to take in here.
These tools aim to assist teachers with curriculums, lesson plans, and more.
Sundar is back on stage, and he’s reiterating the ethos of ‘making AI helpful for everyone’.
‘Welcome to the Gemini Era’ is the last message we’re given.
We’re truly in it now, folks!
