Google has unveiled a new feature aimed at making the writing process more productive, called “Help Me Write.” The tool is powered by generative AI and has been employed in creating song lyrics and stories. Google now plans to introduce this tool across its suite of productivity applications, including Duet AI for Workspace, which provides advanced generative text and image applications for Sheets, slides, and other programs. It is hoped that the feature will assist in composing messages and creating an itinerary or shopping list with ancillary advice and updates on the best available choices while saving on time and effort.
However, the underlying question is whether accuracy and bias will be an issue. The potential benefits of the tool, such as precision results, are likely to outweigh these concerns. Google has poured billions into artificial intelligence (AI) technology and incorporated it into many of its products, including search, Gmail, Google Photos, and Google Docs.
As Google brings AI to a widening range of existing tools, the rise of open-source AI is posing a challenge to tech giants such as Google. Some experts warn that Google and Microsoft have failed to acknowledge the role of open-source AI code and models in creating smaller but more efficient projects. OpenAI’s co-founder Andrej Karpathy compared the AI industry to the Cambrian explosion, a period of Earth history marked by the rapid and diverse evolution of life over 500 million years ago. The question now is how small AI models can be while still being useful.
Google recently launched a trio of Pixel products, including the $1,799 Pixel Fold premium folding smartphone that it claims is the thinnest on the market. The device has a vertical hinge that can be opened to reveal a tablet-like display. Google also unveiled its 7A smartphone, which comes with wireless charging for the first time, and a new Pixel Tablet intended as a household assistant that can make other commands, such as turning off lights and without the need to walk around the house.
Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic has made AI an essential tool for daily life. Google has now taken a step further to introduce generative AI to its advertising-associated search product, which incorporates shopping links and ads, while expanding access to chatbot Bard. The company’s new PaLM 2 machine learning system can understand over 100 languages, handles imagery as well as text, and can be fine-tuned for specialised applications in sectors such as medicine and cybersecurity.
There is growing interest in generative AI among customers, and this has led to Triumph Technology Solutions projecting a 100% growth this year after their annual AWS revenue grew by 398% in 2022. The company predicts that Amazon Web Services (AWS) will come out on top in the current “AI war” against Google and Microsoft. AWS’ channel partner and AI strategy are credited as a key driver behind the growth. AWS has been democratizing access to foundational models and generative AI, with solutions such as Amazon Bedrock and free access to Amazon CodeWhisperer. Triumph Tech sees generative AI as a key technology that has much potential for capitalisation.
Finally, the draft version of the Artificial Intelligence Act (AIA) is nearing agreement within the EU, which, if passed, would make the EU the first major jurisdiction outside China to pass AI regulation. The AIA is likely to ban controversial uses of AI, such as social scoring and facial recognition in public, and could set a global standard for how companies build and deploy their AI systems.
However, one of the AIA’s most contentious points is whether so-called “general purpose AI” should be considered high-risk and subject to the strictest rules and penalties for misuse. Big Tech companies, such as Google and Microsoft, are arguing against these proposals, stating that general-purpose AI systems are not themselves high-risk because they are versatile by design and are not intended for any specific purpose. Nonetheless, Google has launched a new feature called “About this image,” which allows users to detect fake photos online by providing contextual information about an image, including when it was first indexed by Google, where it may have first appeared, and where else it has been seen online. The feature is intended to prevent the spread of manipulated or fake images; however, it can only work on images that have already been indexed.
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