Google's AI at I/O: Project Astra, Gemini Updates, Red Hat Advances AI for System Administration

[00:00:02] It's Wednesday, May 15th, 2024, and I'm Dave Sobel. Three things to know today.

[00:00:07] Google announced major AI initiatives at I.O., Project Astra, Gemini updates, and new AI tools.

[00:00:14] Red Hat advances their AI capabilities to ease system administration and enhance software

[00:00:20] management. And Deloitte affirms the future of spatial computing despite slow adoption

[00:00:26] of wearables like the Vision Pro. This is the Business of Tech.

[00:00:33] Let's get into what was announced at Google I.O. yesterday.

[00:00:37] At the 2024 Google I.O. conference, CEO Sunder Pichai discussed the future of AI,

[00:00:43] focusing on developing intelligent agents that can reason and act on our behalf.

[00:00:48] Project Astra, a smarter version of Google Assistant, was showcased,

[00:00:52] demonstrating real-time computer vision capabilities.

[00:00:56] Google also highlighted updates to its Gemini AI chatbot as its ability to tailor responses

[00:01:02] based on user preferences. The company mentioned AI 121 times across the keynote.

[00:01:09] Google announced significant updates at the conference, including AI-generated answers

[00:01:14] in search results, improved voice assistant capabilities, and the release of its flagship

[00:01:18] AI model Gemini in a new version. The company also introduced new AI tools such as VEO for

[00:01:26] video generation and Imagine 3 for image generation. Additionally, Google showcased

[00:01:32] AI enhancements in its Work Apps and Android operating system, including features to catch

[00:01:37] scam calls. Google's introduced a feature called AI Overviews for its search engine,

[00:01:43] which generates information summaries above traditional search results. This feature is

[00:01:49] expected to reach more than a billion people by the end of the year and is now rolling out

[00:01:53] in the United States. Google's Gemini AI chatbot is being integrated with Google Calendar,

[00:01:59] Tasks, and Keep, allowing users to perform tasks such as summarizing emails, adding events to

[00:02:05] calendars, and creating shopping lists. The new integrations aim to make daily tasks more

[00:02:10] convenient and efficient. The Gemini chatbot also supports image uploading, enabling users

[00:02:16] to easily add information from pictures to their personal Google Calendar or shopping lists.

[00:02:21] These integrations are expected to provide a smoother experience than other assistants

[00:02:26] like Siri. Google plans to release the new integrations soon.

[00:02:31] Google's introducing a new feature called Gems for its Gemini AI, allowing users to create

[00:02:36] personalized chatbots with different personalities. Users can create iterations of chatbots for

[00:02:42] specific tasks, such as a gym buddy or coding partners. This feature is similar to OpenAI's

[00:02:48] GPT Store and will be available soon to Gemini Advanced subscribers.

[00:02:54] Gemini is developing a call monitoring feature for Android that uses Gemini Nano,

[00:02:59] that reduced version of its Gemini language model, to detect scam calls. The feature will

[00:03:05] alert users in real-time if a call exhibits fraudulent language or conversation patterns

[00:03:10] associated with scams. The on-device protection will remain private and users will have the

[00:03:15] option to end suspicious calls. The availability and details of the feature will be shared by

[00:03:21] Google later this year. Why do we care?

[00:03:26] Google came out swinging, right? AI chatbots remain the buzz, and I'm curious to see where

[00:03:31] this all goes. But it's specific implementations that matter. Real-time scam detection is both

[00:03:37] cool and legitimately helpful. Let's highlight integrating Gemini with Google Calendar tasking

[00:03:43] key as it promises to streamline daily operations for businesses. Providers can assist

[00:03:48] clients in adopting these integrations to improve task management, email handling, and schedule

[00:03:53] coordination, leading to more efficient business processes and better time management. Or do it

[00:03:58] with Copilot if you're a Microsoft partner. I also wanted to warn you about AI-generated

[00:04:04] search answers. There's a lot here as the introduction of AI-generated answers and

[00:04:08] overviews in Google Search presents a shift in how information is delivered and consumed.

[00:04:14] As a first wave, it could transform SEO strategies and digital marketing approaches,

[00:04:20] making it essential for businesses to understand and potentially adapt very quickly.

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[00:05:18] Red Hat is embracing AI across its product line, introducing Red Hat Enterprise Linux

[00:05:23] AI, Red Hat OpenShift AI, and Red Hat Ansible Automation.

[00:05:29] Red Hat Enterprise Linux AI streamlines generative AI model development, testing,

[00:05:34] and deployment, while Lightspeed simplifies complex system administration tasks.

[00:05:39] OpenShift AI enables large-scale model implementation, and Ansible incorporates

[00:05:45] Policy-as-Code to automate IT infrastructure management. The goal is to simplify system

[00:05:51] administrators' lives and provide an easy-to-manage software stack for customers.

[00:05:56] And while I'm on Linux, Debian is discussing the adoption of a policy on the use of AI and ML

[00:06:02] tools to generate content. While some contributors support banning these tools,

[00:06:07] others argue they're just another tool and should not be treated differently.

[00:06:11] The debate revolves around copyright, ethical, and quality concerns. Ultimately, so far,

[00:06:16] there's no consensus on an official Debian position regarding using generative AI in the project.

[00:06:23] Why do we care? A tale of two Linuxes? What's the plural of Linux?

[00:06:30] The introduction of Lightspeed to simplify complex system administration tasks is a potential

[00:06:35] game-changer. Providers can utilize the tool to enhance their service offerings by automating

[00:06:40] routine tasks, improving system reliability, and reducing the administrative burden on their

[00:06:45] clients' IT teams. It's also the type of tool we're seeing more and more of.

[00:06:50] I want to applaud the Debian developers for working through the issues,

[00:06:54] and I hope this is a case of measure twice, cut once. I don't believe this is a race,

[00:07:01] as there'll be plenty of time, and adoption is not a zero-sum game.

[00:07:06] Remember that debate, discussion, and planning are movement.

[00:07:14] So let's do a bit of spatial computing. TechDirt reports that despite months of

[00:07:19] hype from the tech press, sales of the Apple Vision Pro headset have been disappointing.

[00:07:24] The product faced criticism for issues such as lack of app support, short battery life,

[00:07:28] and the need for expensive prescription lenses. The tech press' coverage created

[00:07:33] unrealistic expectations, and early adopters seem to have lost interest.

[00:07:38] But Apple Vision Pro has gained traction in the enterprise market.

[00:07:43] CEO Tim Cook revealed during the Q2 earnings call that it's been purchased by

[00:07:48] Fortune 100 companies. The device is being used in various industries,

[00:07:52] including aircraft engine design, team collaboration, and kitchen design.

[00:07:57] Despite the high price tag, Apple Vision Pro is potentially found in niche

[00:08:02] and is expected to be further discussed during their developer conference in June.

[00:08:07] And according to Deloitte, spatial computing, defined as the convergence of physical and

[00:08:11] digital worlds, is still the future despite that underwhelming response.

[00:08:17] Deloitte believes that spatial computing will be the next level of interaction.

[00:08:20] Critical technology components such as sensor fusion, LiDAR, micro-LEDs,

[00:08:25] and spatial mapping software will be crucial in making spatial computing a reality.

[00:08:31] And in that space, Google is partnering with HP to commercialize Project Starlight,

[00:08:36] a video conferencing technology with a magic window powered by AI and 3D imaging.

[00:08:42] The technology aims to create a more immersive and natural collaboration experience,

[00:08:46] allowing users to communicate as if they were in the same room.

[00:08:50] Project Starlight uses high-resolution cameras and AI algorithms to capture and render

[00:08:55] live 3D images of participants without requiring VR headsets.

[00:09:00] The specialized display required for Project Starlight makes it suitable for conference

[00:09:04] rooms and offices. Google plans to add support for video conferencing like Google Meet and Zoom.

[00:09:11] Meta has announced updates for its Ray-Ban MetaSmart glasses, including a new cat-eye

[00:09:16] frame style, video calling feature in compatibility with Apple Music, and the availability of a

[00:09:22] multimodal AI assistant. The glasses can now be connected to WhatsApp and Messenger for video

[00:09:27] calls, and users can control Apple Music hands-free. The multimodal AI feature allows users to take

[00:09:33] pictures and receive contextual information from Meta's AI. Meta reportedly plans to bring

[00:09:40] HUD to the next generation of Ray-Ban MetaSmart glasses in 2025.

[00:09:45] Oh, and one more! Google showcased a demo of AI smart glasses with a heads-up display at IOO 2024.

[00:09:53] The glasses were part of the announcement of Project Astra, that real-time multimodal AI

[00:09:58] assistant. The demo showed the glasses with a fixed HUD displaying audio input and AI responses.

[00:10:05] No specific product announcement was made, but Google expressed interest in glasses as a

[00:10:10] potential form factor for Project Astra. There was no mention of Android XR, the spatial computing

[00:10:16] platform, in the keynote. Why do we care? Google snuck that one in there, so let's not miss it.

[00:10:24] The glasses' form factor continues to advance quietly. Now, let's be skeptical of Apple's

[00:10:30] declaration that simply purchasing a device means they're doing more than just testing it.

[00:10:34] The focus remains on watching for the use cases that matter. That mixed response to consumer

[00:10:40] wearables juxtaposed with potential enterprise success underscores the importance of targeting

[00:10:44] the right market segments with the right solution. But sprinkle a little AI chat

[00:10:49] magic over this space, and there could be something here. Just not today.

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[00:12:01] Thanks for listening. Let's recognize Break the Glass Ceiling Day, as well as National

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