Google’s annual I/O software developers conference will kick off on 10 May with keynote remarks from Google CEO Sundar Pichai. The conference, held near its headquarters in the Silicon Valley city of Mountain View, California could reveal the tech giant's latest gadgets, including the Google Pixel Fold and Pixel 7a, the much-awaited additions to its Pixel line of smartphone devices.
Google is expected to further enhance its online services with more artificial intelligence (AI) in an attempt to keep ahead in the AI race despite the fears that it might pose a threat to society, according to an AFP report. Google might soon be releasing an improved version of its Bard generative AI. Last week, Microsoft expanded public access to its generative AI programs – including the Bing chatbot – which seems to have put pressure on companies that are investing in AI.
According to a CNBC report, AI will be the central theme of Google’s conference this year. The company is likely to announce a more general use large language model (LLM) along with expanded use of AI tools in Gmail, work software, search and more, according to multiple news reports. LLMs involve machine learning applied to huge amounts of data harvested from the Internet, according to the AFP report. Moreover, internal documents viewed by CNBC revealed that the company will unveil PaLM 2, its most recent and advanced LLM. This will include more than 100 languages.
While AI updates will be exciting, people are looking forward to the new gadgets. Last week Google posted a brief video clip teasing its first foldable phone, Pixel Fold showing that the device folds horizontally. This phone, along with a lower-priced version of its Pixel 7 smartphone, Pixel 7a and a new Pixel tablet, originally previewed last week are expected to be revealed at the conference.
The tablet could come with two 8-megapixel cameras on its front and back, three microphones, up to 256GB of storage, and USI 2.0 stylus support while the heavily leaked Pixel 7a is rumoured to include a Tensor G2 chip, an upgraded 64MP main camera, and a 13MP ultrawide camera, according to The Verge. Google might also provide a glimpse of a Pixel 8 phone as its new flagship model to challenge the Apple iPhone.
You can watch the keynote online on Google’s website or YouTube channel. The conference will begin at 10:30 PM IST.
(With inputs from agencies)
