Google I/O: Tech conference expected to be dominated by AI
Google is expected to unveil a string of new artificial intelligence-powered features when it opens its annual developer conference later on Tuesday. Google I/O is the traditional launch point for major updates to the technology giant’s key products and services – including Search, Maps, YouTube, and the Android software that powers many smartphones and tablets.
This year’s event in California is widely expected to see the company talk at length about how it is integrating generative AI into its products, having launched its revamped AI chatbot, Gemini, earlier this year. In April, Google announced it had launched an experiment in the UK to test using generative AI to respond to some search queries, with the responses from Google’s chatbot showing up alongside the traditional search results and web links.
AI Integration in Google Products
This is one of a number of AI-powered features the tech giant has been testing and could be given a wider rollout during I/O. There have also been reports that Google could be planning to introduce a new digital assistant at the heart of its Pixel smartphones.
It has been suggested that any new assistant would have multimodal capabilities, meaning it is able to process, understand, and respond to text, images, and audio around one subject as they are fed to it. Elsewhere, Google could use the event to preview its next flagship Pixel smartphone, which is due in the autumn, as well as other parts of its hardware line-up, including tablets and smart home hubs.
Regulation and Innovation in AI
The announcements come as a new wave of innovation is expected around generative AI, particularly from the world’s biggest tech firms. Microsoft has its own developer conference next week and Apple’s follows in early June, with both also expected to heavily focus on their development and integration of generative AI tools.
It comes as questions and concerns remain around how to best regulate the rapidly evolving technology. Conservative peer Lord Holmes of Richmond has tabled proposals to create a central AI regulator in the UK. Currently, the Government has proposed that existing regulators take on the role of monitoring AI use within their sectors rather than creating a new, central regulator dedicated to the emerging technology.
Investment and Partnerships in AI
South Korea's government signed an agreement on Monday with the local units of Alibaba's AliExpress and PDD Holdings' Temu to promote product safety. The agreement comes after heightened regulatory scrutiny of AliExpress, Temu, and other Chinese e-commerce platforms as they significantly expand their user base in South Korea. Alibaba Group Holding Limited uses its cloud computing resources to support China’s generative AI start-ups, providing them with credits instead of traditional cash-for-equity investments.
OpenAI on Monday released a higher performing and even more human-like version of the artificial intelligence technology that underpins its popular generative tool ChatGPT, making it free to all users. Until now, only lower performing versions of OpenAI or Google's chatbots were available to customers for free.
Apple is reportedly closing a deal with OpenAI to include its technology on iPhones. The companies are set to finalize the terms of an agreement to include ChatGPT on iOS 18. ChatGPT is among the leading AI services.
