Google's Made by Google event featured Pixel 9 devices with a heavy dose of its Gemini models as well as its tech stack that extends from cloud to edge.
Yes, Google's event was technically about devices, better cameras and other features, the main event really revolved around genAI and natural language experiences.
I'm pondering the implications of Google's Pixel event in terms of that genAI as UI theme. Will this experience melding happen on devices first and then extend to enterprise software? It remains to be seen, but as Airbnb recently noted: The phone UI hasn't changed a whole lot even with genAI.
- Airbnb CEO: GenAI's impact on app experiences minimal so far
- Enterprise software vendors shift genAI narrative: 'GenAI is just software'
- Uber Q2 boosted by algorithm improvements
- Rocket Companies Q2 highlights genAI, AI returns
- GenAI may be the new UI for enterprise software
Rick Osterloh, Senior Vice President of Platforms and Devices, outlined the Google AI stack and vision.
"We're fully in the Gemini era, with AI infused into almost everything we're doing at Google across our full tech stack. Our integrated AI strategy means we're in control of where we're heading.
We're innovating with AI at every layer of the tech stack, from the infrastructure and the foundation models to the OS and devices and the apps and services you use every day. It's a complete end to end experience."
The other theme here with Google's Pixel event is the integration of Android and Gemini. The upshot here is that Google wants to charge you for advanced Gemini feature. The problem is users can wind up with AI sprawl. GenAI isn't a streaming service. Do you roll with Gemini or OpenAI?
Here are the moving parts from the Made by Google launch:
- Gemini Live will roll out to Gemini Advanced subscribers. Gemini will give a natural language window into multiple applications including Keep, Tasks, Utilities and YouTube Music as well as Gmail and Calendar. Gemini will also pull in context as needed. The only catch here is that Gemini works with Google apps, but ultimately needs to extend into third party apps too.
- Pixel 9 devices will be powered by Google's Tensor G4 silicon that was designed with Google DeepMind. The Tensor G4 will run Gemini Nano with Multimodality so the phone can understand text, images and audio. Google also launched the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. Pixel 9 devices start at $799.
- For now, Google is layering Gemini and genAI throughout its devices and features ranging from camera to Pixel Studio to Circle to Search.
Add it up and Google's Pixel event is notable as a comparison to Apple Intelligence. Neither has leveraged genAI to change the mobile UI paradigm, but consider the Pixel launch more like a first installment. The larger story over time will be Pixel as edge device and the leverage Google has with its tech stack.
