Google packs more artificial intelligence into new Pixel phones 

Introduction:

Google has introduced its latest generation of Pixel smartphones, featuring enhanced artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities. These new devices can generate captions for photos and even modify them using AI technology.

AI into Google's products:

This infusion of AI into Google's products represents a significant step toward mainstream integration, a direction the company emphasized during its annual developer's conference five months ago. Rick Osterloh, Google's Senior Vice President of Devices and Services, stated during the event in New York that their goal is to make AI more helpful and accessible in a bold and responsible manner.

Describing the new Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro phones as a conduit for "AI in your hand," Osterloh underscored Google's commitment to integrating AI into everyday life.

Google's upcoming plans include allowing the seven-year-old Google Assistant to tap into their recently launched AI chatbot, Bard, to perform various tasks. This expansion follows the recent integration of Bard into other popular Google services like Gmail, Maps, and YouTube. Google is taking a cautious approach, letting users decide whether they want Bard to interact with these services to address concerns about AI handling potentially sensitive information as it continues to learn about language and users.

One notable capability of the Bard-backed assistant is its ability to analyze photos taken on Android-powered phones and generate captivating captions suitable for sharing on social media.

As is customary with Google's AI initiatives, the Bard-backed Google Assistant will initially be available to a limited test audience before gradually being offered on an opt-in basis to more Pixel owners.

Most of the other technological features in the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro remain similar to the previous year's models. One major selling point for these new phones is their improved cameras, equipped with AI-powered editing tools, primarily available on the Pixel 8 Pro. These AI features can enhance photos, zoom into specific parts of images, replace faces in group shots, and remove objects or people from images.

To justify the price increase, Google is relying on these new AI enhancements in this year's lineup. In France, the Pixel 8 starts at €799, and the Pixel 8 Pro starts at €1099. Apple has also raised the starting price of its top-end iPhone, reflecting the increasing costs of essential modern devices due to inflationary pressures.

The Pixel 8 Pro will have the capability to measure people's temperatures, potentially becoming a valuable feature in a post-pandemic world with evolving COVID strains. However, Google is still seeking regulatory approval to enable this function in the United States. Huawei's Honor Play 4 Pro, released in 2020, also had the ability to screen for fevers, making Google's introduction in this regard not entirely ground-breaking.

Despite generally positive reviews, Pixel phones have struggled to gain a significant market share in a smartphone market dominated by Samsung and Apple. However, they have made slight gains in recent years, with Pixel's share of the high-end smartphone market now hovering around 4%, up from less than 1% three years ago, according to research firm International Data Corp.

Google's ability to produce phones with relatively modest sales numbers is supported by its annual revenue of over $190 billion from a digital advertising network centered around its dominant search engine. A significant portion of this revenue comes from agreements with companies like Apple and Samsung, securing Google's search engine as the primary gateway to the internet on their devices. These agreements are currently under scrutiny in an ongoing antitrust trial in Washington, where the U.S. Justice Department is investigating allegations of Google abusing its power to stifle competition and innovation.