I was not a fan of Google’s fake Gemini demo a few days ago, but I’m certain that the AI technology Google faked will soon become a reality. Google Gemini will indeed power experiences where you can talk to AI in real-time, and the AI can see what you see during those conversations. Even Meta has started testing features like this for Meta AI with the help of the Ray-Ban smart glasses.
While we have no timeframe for when these advanced AI features might arrive, a pair of reports signals it might happen as soon as next year. The Pixel 9 might feature a brand new Pixie AI assistant that could be exclusive to Pixel phones. Additionally, Google is looking at using AI tech on smart glasses, just like Meta.
As a reminder, Google’s staged Gemini demo was the most exciting one of the bunch. It showed a person talking to AI continuously while changing the actions happening in front of a camera. It seemed like the AI was using cameras to observe what the human was doing and respond to queries. That’s a mind-blowing evolution for generative AI products, but we’re not there yet.
In reality, Google fed the AI images and typed out the prompts. The video shows Gemini powers that do not exist today in Google’s commercial AI products.
But a pair of reports from The Information (via 9to5Google) relays Google’s commercial plans for Gemini for the near future.
Personal AI experiences are coming to phones
First of all, Google is supposedly working on a Pixie AI assistant that will be exclusive to the Pixel phones. It’s unclear if it’ll replace Google Assistant with Bard or work alongside it. But Pixel AI will use Gmail, Google Maps, and other data from Google apps on your phone to offer assistance. The report says that Pixie could “evolve into a far more personalized version of the Google Assistant.”
That’s the endgame for AI and something I’ve talked about for a while now. We’re soon going to get personal AI experiences, and Google is very well-placed to offer such services to users.
The report offers an example of how Pixie might work on Pixel phones. The AI will perform “complex and multimodal tasks, such as suggesting directions to the closest store where someone can buy a product they have photographed.”
Since this is an AI assistant on a phone, it’ll almost certainly support voice input. ChatGPT already supports voice on iPhone and Android.
Pixie might debut with the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro next fall. Until then, it’s likely we’ll see Google Assistant with Bard get more advanced AI features based on Gemini’s capabilities.
Once Pixie arrives, it might be available on older Pixel models. The report says Google aims to have the AI assistant running on its “lower-end phones and devices like its watch.”
Gemini might shine on wearables
Here’s where the other exciting detail comes into play. Google is also looking at smart glasses for AI use. Google is reportedly considering “glasses that could make use of the AI’s ability to recognize the objects a wearer is seeing.”
That seems to be just an idea for now, without a clear product in mind. But such a wearable could advise the wearer on “how to use a tool, solve a math problem or play a musical instrument.”
Meta’s Ray-Ban demos from earlier this week offer a similar concept for Meta AI. I said at the time I eexpect to see similar AI features from Apple headsets, starting with the Vision Pro and ending with the AR glasses that Apple must be developing.
Unlike Apple, Google doesn’t have a Vision Pro in the pipeline. But it might be working with Samsung on such devices. Another option for Google is to have its software run on cheaper smart glasses, similar to how Meta deployed Meta AI on Ray-Ban smart glasses. That’s just speculation from me at this point.
Also, remember the Ai Pin? Well, these personal AI experiences that Google is working on will make it even harder for Humane to sell a smartphone without a display.
Wearables AI computing aside, the Pixie AI assistant seems more of a certainty. While these are rumors, I’ll remind you that Pixel details always leak. And they leak well ahead of time.
Also, Google might want to demo Pixie well before the Pixel 9 launch to say it did it before the competition. Google’s upcoming I/O event is one such place where Pixie might arrive. But, again, this is just speculation.
Whatever happens with Gemini next, I am sure that I/O 2024 will be all about AI for Google. AI continues to be the most important thing happening in tech. And we’re about to see Samsung made a big deal about AI phones once the Galaxy S24 launches.
