Google unleashed a ton of announcements during the first day of its Google I/O 2024 event, with updates coming to Android making up just a few. Android announcements included updates to Google’s Circle to Search feature, a new on device assistant, and suspected scam alerts being delivered while on a call.
As Apple prepares to announce its own advancements in AI at its WWDC event next month, Google got a head start with its latest additions to the company’s AI arsenal at its own I/O 2024 event. While the nearly two hour opening keynote contained a slew of announcements, a few new AI-enabled tricks coming to Android were mixed in.
While Circle to Search is not new, having launched during the recent Samsung Unpacked event, Google unveiled a couple of new thing coming to the feature. Perhaps the most intriguing, especially if you are a student (or parent of a student), was how Circle to Search will be able to not only deliver answers to difficult questions one may encounter doing homework, but also give students a deeper understanding.
An example given during the keynote was a student getting stuck on a homework assignment and turning to Circle to Search for help, after dad was of no help. When the question was circled on an Android smartphone using Circle to Search, it not only delivered the answer, but how the student could come to the answer next time.
Also announced was a new assistant coming to Android phones (cue roar of applause from the Bixby haters). Gemini on Android is touted by Google as being a “new kind of assistant that uses generative AI to help you be more creative and productive.” Google added that soon users will be able to bring up Gemini’s overlay on top of the app a user is already in, making it easier to use the new assistant in more ways. An example given was someone using one of the new assistant features which will allow users to “Ask this PDF” to quickly get answers without ever having to open the document itself and scroll through endless pages.
While Gemini on Android may have been a fan favorite, a new feature coming to Android based smartphones that may end up saving some from getting scammed on a call could be the most important. Google remarked that during a 12-month period, people around the world lost more than $1 trillion to fraud. The new feature coming later this year will hopefully lower that number in years to come.
The new real-time scam alert is activated when a user is on a suspicious call, and Gemini picks up suspicious verbiage from the caller. An example is if someone receives a call from someone who claims your bank account has been compromised, and they ask the user to transfer all funds into a secure account. If something like this happens, Gemini will interrupt with a buzz and a pop-up window, letting the user know the call is likely a scam.
Google’s announcement of new AI features coming to Android was just the tip of the iceberg of what the company talked about during the opening of its Google IO 2024 event. Anyone who would like the down low on everything else can head to Google’s The Keyword website to learn more.