As we navigate the ever-evolving digital landscape, it's no secret that artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming an increasingly integral part of our daily lives.

For our tech-savvy seniors and those just dipping their toes into the digital world, it's important to stay informed about the changes that could affect how we use some of the most common online tools.

One such change is on the horizon for Gmail users, as Google's CEO Sundar Pichai recently announced at the annual Google I/O developer conference.

The conference, which often sets the stage for Google's vision of the future, made it clear that AI is not just a buzzword but a fundamental shift in how we will interact with technology.

Pichai mentioned the term ‘AI’ a staggering 120 times during the presentation—as counted by its AI platform, Gemini—emphasising its significance in Google's roadmap.

The company's latest AI model, Gemini 1.5 Pro, is poised to revolutionise the way we use Google's suite of products, including Gmail.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai outlined their AI-driven vision for product enhancement at the 2024 Google I/O developer conference. Credits: YouTube / Google

Imagine asking your photo gallery about the day your granddaughter took her first steps or quickly retrieving your vehicle's registration details from a saved image.

These are just a couple of examples of how Google's new feature, Ask Photos, will allow users to search their photos for deeper insights; however, the changes to Gmail are what might pique the interest of people the most.

Soon, you'll be able to ask Gemini 1.5 Pro to sift through your emails, summarising recent messages from your child's school or identifying action items without you having to comb through each one.

This could be a game-changer for staying on top of important information without the hassle of manual organisation.

Moreover, Google's advancements in AI were not just about convenience; they were also about creating more natural interactions with technology.

The latest model can ‘read’ a textbook and transform it into an AI lecture, complete with natural-sounding teachers ready to answer your questions.

The timing of Google's announcement was particularly interesting, as it came hot on the heels of OpenAI's unveiling of GPT-4o, which promised to make the ChatGPT chatbot smarter and more versatile.

GPT-4o was designed to transform ChatGPT into a digital personal assistant capable of real-time spoken and text interactions, as well as engagement through ‘vision’.

It can analyse and discuss screenshots, photos, documents, and charts uploaded by users.

Google's response? Showcasing Gemini's multimodal capabilities that can process text, voice, and images, positioning itself as a direct competitor to ChatGPT's advancements.

A Google executive showcased a virtual ‘teammate’ designed to assist with managing to-do lists, organising data, and streamlining workflows.

The company also introduced enhancements to its search function, enabling users to ask more natural or specific questions and receive varied responses, such as detailed or summarised results.

Additionally, it can provide tailored recommendations, like suggesting child-friendly restaurants in specific areas or diagnosing issues with gadgets by analysing videos of the problem via Google Lens. According to the company, the aim is to simplify the search process.

Google also briefly mentioned Project Astra, developed by its DeepMind AI lab.

This initiative aims to use AI assistants to enhance daily life by utilising phone cameras to interpret real-world information, such as identifying objects and locating misplaced items.

There was also a hint at its potential application in augmented reality glasses.

In the coming months, Google plans to integrate more AI functions into phones, making it easier to drag and drop AI-generated images into emails or ask questions about YouTube videos directly from your Android device.

And for those concerned about security, a new Android tool will help detect suspicious activity during phone calls, potentially thwarting scammers.

The implications of these changes are vast.

As Jacob Bourne from Emarketer pointed out, it was not surprising that AI took centre stage at Google's developer conference this year.

‘By showcasing its latest models and how they’ll power existing products with strong consumer reach, Google is demonstrating how it can effectively differentiate itself from rivals,’ he explained.

The reception of these new tools will be a litmus test for Google's ability to adapt its search product to the demands of the generative AI era.

With the digital landscape rapidly evolving, tech giants are continually enhancing their services to offer more intuitive and powerful tools.

Google's recent announcement of a major change to all Gmail accounts within months was a testament to this trend, promising to revolutionise how users interact with their emails.

However, Google isn't the only company making waves in the tech world. Meta also introduced its advanced AI, bringing cutting-edge technology to Aussie users and showcasing the immense potential of artificial intelligence in our everyday lives.

Key Takeaways

• Google revealed its vision for AI to improve its products at the Google I/O developer conference, with CEO Sundar Pichai mentioning ‘AI’ 120 times during the presentation.
• New features powered by AI model Gemini 1.5 Pro included Ask Photos for searching deeper insights in pictures and summarising emails with key points and actions.
• Google is adding multimodal capabilities to its AI, allowing it to understand and respond to text, voice, and images, in direct response to advancements by OpenAI.
• The integration of AI into everyday devices and services, such as detecting scam calls on Android and enhancing search results, is aimed at simplifying and enriching user experiences.

Are you excited about the possibilities AI brings to your Gmail account and other Google services? Do you have concerns about privacy or the learning curve associated with new technology? Share your opinions in the comments below!

 

[gamiry]

They already stuff up our computers and emails in Bundaberg so God help us what mess they are aboout to make now.

 

[Liz]

I think I will go back to snail mail. Don't like the sound of all this.

 

[gamiry]

I think I will go back to snail mail. Don't like the sound of all this.

I still have to do snail mail to Thailand. It's just taken me 2 hours to do an email to Ch9 re the death of my beloved friend when we were young, Frank Ifield. So much of what I'd written disappeared into thin air which is not unusual so have to keep redoing it. Heaven help us now with what I've read so far. By the way, what I'd written was less than a page long.

 

[mylittletibbies]

Sounds like a whole pile of gobbledygook to me.
Soon we won't have to think for ourselves at all just keep pressing buttons and clicking links, etc.
Should help solve the teacher problem, we won't have to learn anything, just be like a pack of robotic zombies.

 

[gamiry]

Sounds like a whole pile of gobbledygook to me.
Soon we won't have to think for ourselves at all just keep pressing buttons and clicking links, etc.
Should help solve the teacher problem, we won't have to learn anything, just be like a pack of robotic zombies.

me too. When you consider today's kids, most of their behaviour proves they are zombies.

 

[trakn]

Sounds like a whole pile of gobbledygook to me.
Soon we won't have to think for ourselves at all just keep pressing buttons and clicking links, etc.
Should help solve the teacher problem, we won't have to learn anything, just be like a pack of robotic zombies.

Suckerbergs whole intention

 

[mylittletibbies]

Yes, I often feel my grandkids spend, what appears to me,too much time on devices.
But as the two eldest are in special classes for top students and now the youngest seems to be heading the same way, I guess I should keep my opinions to myself. lol.

 

[StarTrekker]

If it ain't broke..............
Why do they have to change it? It takes me for ever to update to new operating systems.
If I had a choice I'd be using XP.

 

[gamiry]

I wish they would shove it up their own INBOX as far as it will go.

 

[Knell]

Progression? Consider how much AI aids medical fields already.
"Robot-assisted surgery currently has an overall success rate of 94% to 100%. Individual success rates depend on what type of procedure you need, your general health and other factors."

"Unlike humans, who can interpret ECG data based on their training and experience, AI can analyze ECG data against a vast database of clinical outcomes. This ensures a more nuanced and accurate diagnosis, taking into account a range of factors that might be beyond human cognition in a timely manner".

 

[Gaena]

This article proved to me once again that I am a total novice in the tech world, I did not comprehend even half of the information and have no idea how or even if it will effect me going forward, I have been totally lost since Microsoft discontinued XP and don't even mention Microsoft 11, I am just grateful that I can still navigate my PC to send an email, I have to use my PC because my smart phone is way smarter than me!!

 

[Rob44]

May God spare us from upgrades. Microsoft has stuffed up Hotmail very thoroughly, as it does with most things. Now whatever owns Google has promised us the same. Can't nerds leave things alone, especially those already working well? Whatever was wrong with Windows XP that needed Windows 7, 8, 8.5, 9?, 10 and now frigging 11 to improve?

Even Win98 was okay except that one had to partition one's hard drive and couldn't use long file-names. Those were the days when 64 Ram and a 20 Gigabyte hard-drive were huge and coped with most anything the average user and gamer needed. For that matter my Win 3.11 Pentium ran faster than what I have now to do the same type of professional work.

 

[June E]

If it ain't broke..............
Why do they have to change it? It takes me for ever to update to new operating systems.
If I had a choice I'd be using XP.

Just because they can !

 

[Rob44]

Progression? Consider how much AI aids medical fields already.
"Robot-assisted surgery currently has an overall success rate of 94% to 100%. Individual success rates depend on what type of procedure you need, your general health and other factors."

"Unlike humans, who can interpret ECG data based on their training and experience, AI can analyze ECG data against a vast database of clinical outcomes. This ensures a more nuanced and accurate diagnosis, taking into account a range of factors that might be beyond human cognition in a timely manner".

Yes; we all need to analyse ECG data.........The odd thing about we humans is that we are all genetically different whereas AI analysing a huge amounts of clinical data surely gives some statistical average, which might just be inappropriate for that particular person whereas an experienced physician might just recognise the outlier. Can AI also cope with outliers?

 

[midgemills]

Oh goody, I love playing robots, NOT.

 

[Knell]

Yes; we all need to analyse ECG data.........The odd thing about we humans is that we are all genetically different whereas AI analysing a huge amounts of clinical data surely gives some statistical average, which might just be inappropriate for that particular person whereas an experienced physician might just recognise the outlier. Can AI also cope with outliers?

Bearing in mind that the physician will probably not know the patient in the case of an emergency where every second matters. No doubt there will always be collaboration. Not saying it will replace the specialist, but in the case of time-critical assessments, a vast database of knowledge at their fingertips would surely be very beneficial, I would think, for anyone, including these outliers. No?

 

[Rob44]

Yes; we all need to analyse ECG data.........The odd thing about we humans is that we are all genetically different whereas AI analysing a huge amounts of clinical data surely gives some statistical average, which might just be inappropriate for that particular, person whereas an experienced physician might just recognise the outlier. Can AI also cope with outliers?

Bearing in mind that the physician will probably not know the patient in the case of an emergency where every second matters. No doubt there will always be collaboration. Not saying it will replace the specialist, but in the case of time-critical assessments, a vast database of knowledge at their fingertips would surely be very beneficial, I would think, for anyone, including these outliers. No?

Good point. Having been time-critically assessed by three doctors, 2 at junior registrar or possible resident level, and survived an operation that has a 1 in 2 chance of success (if one makes it to the operating table) by an immigrant surgeon, our ED physicians are not at all bad although some are not that good. I doubt if AI would have made a skerrick of difference; however, it could well do so for a less dramatic event and a more long-term problem. I suppose I was just a case of the bleedin' obvious.

 

[NotNats]

Hate the so called new look of GMAIL - never agreed to use it but low and behold they changed it anyway and now they want to do this AI thing which I don't want any part of. Getting sick and tired of companied forcing thing on to us that we don't want.

 

[gamiry]

Hate the so called new look of GMAIL - never agreed to use it but low and behold they changed it anyway and now they want to do this AI thing which I don't want any part of. Getting sick and tired of companied forcing thing on to us that we don't want.

totally agree wirh you. This morning I tried to do an email to my helper. I had what I'd written constantly going to DRAFT, letters in words I didn't put there and ADS. It's hard enough trying to deal with the death of my friend Frank Ifield without puting up with this shit. Give me pen and paper and landline any day.