If you are a Google Pixel 8 Pro user, your smartphone is about to receive a serious AI update from Google. And better, if you are not a Pixel user, but are still an Android smartphone user, there is good news for you too.
Google is bringing its new Gemini AI model via Bard to the Pixel 8 Pro. First announced in May of this year, Gemini is Google’s most advanced language model AI to date (and a more than decent rival to ChatGPT).
However, because Gemini was designed to run in a large data center environment, what appears on the Pixel 8 Pro will be a slimmed-down version — Gemini Nano — that is specifically designed for smartphones. But even though it’s not the “full” version, that doesn’t mean it’s any less valuable.
2 new features for now
In a post announcing the rollout, Google noted that Gemini Nano was the “most efficient model built to perform tasks on the device,” adding that since it “runs directly on the smartphone’s processor,” there is a enough to do with several use cases.
Initially, only two features on the Pixel 8 Pro will be run by Gemini Nano:
- The smart reply on the Gboard keyboard — which suggests the next thing to say in a messaging app
- The Recorder app’s auto-summary feature, which lets you get a recap of an entire meeting with just one click.
It’s only a beginning
These two processes, which are part of the new functionalities of the Pixel planned for December, will be executed directly on the smartphone, which guarantees three things:
- Sensitive data remains on your device
- No online connection required
- Processes should be very fast
Bottom line, right now all you’ll see is two apps on your Pixel 8 running a little faster and communicating a little more efficiently. But this is only the beginning.
Towards an Android revolution?
This is indeed only a small initial deployment, and your smartphone may not even feel so different. But if Gemini works the way Google thinks it does, and if it can be integrated into the Google Assistant on Pixel smartphones, it could ultimately become an important addition to Google’s product lineup. And when Gemini rolls out across all of Android – which is happening – it will have an even broader impact.
In the long term, Gemini – and AI tools in general – appear to have a potentially massive impact on Android devices and could change almost everything we do with our devices.
Combined with the introduction of Beeper, an app that allows color-conscious people to shed their blue Android bubble, will we start to see a migration from iOS to Android?