Google I/O 2018 Keynote shows us that AI is the way of the future

This yearly event surprised us in more ways than one. From hardware to software, everything Google is getting an upgrade with a healthy dose of AI.

• We can’t wait to wake up to John Legend’s voice as our Google Assistant. Siri — you’ve got serious competition!
• Google Assistant can now book appointments by itself. Welcome to the future.
• Gmail Compose will write your emails for you. Well…kind of!

The Google I/O keynote for 2018 has come and gone and the announcements were nothing short of inspiring. Although we’ve seen plenty of AI from different brands, coming from Google, it’s clear that AI is certainly the future. From maps to email to the way you use your phone, Google is on track to incorporate machine and app learning into your day-to-day life to make browsing more engaging than ever before.

Android P

The ninth major version of the Android Operating System is all about learning your habits. From the apps you use to the time you spend browsing each one of them, this version of Android OS will cater to your phone usage like never before. As demonstrated in the keynote, this OS will predict the apps you’re about to use based on your usage history and show them separately on the screen for you to access faster.

There will also be ways for you to measure the amount of time you spend on your phone doing different activities. And, the “shush” feature will allow you to set timers for every app and get notified when to stop using them in the day. Set a sleep timer to turn the screen into a grayscale mode at specified times to help you keep the phone away and feel less distracted.

Finally, to snooze your Android P phone, all you have to do is turn it upside down.

Release: It’s coming later this summer but currently available as a beta version for certain selected smartphones only.

Google Duplex

One of the preliminary AI offerings from the brand has been named Google Duplex. It’s been in the works for several years now and it aims to make the Google Assistant perform calls for you (by itself). Yes, you heard that right.

As demonstrated in the keynote, Google Assistant can actually book a hair salon appointment for you by following the traditional process — calling the salon and asking for an appointment (without making the salon operator realize it’s a bot on the other side 😉).

Google Assistant Smart Display coming this July

They were a craze during CES 2018 back in January and Google has finally set a launch date. With this display, you have unprecedented access to Google Assistant.

JBL Link Bar

Combining award-winning audio with impressively smart software seems like a no-brainer. This soundbar is complete with voice control to cater to your every need. You can even request music without even turning on your TV. Thanks to the hybrid design, it also declutters your entertainment setup and looks as good as it functions.

JBL Link Bar

Gmail Smart Compose

This outstanding AI-infused feature help you compose your emails from scratch. What it will do is simple. As you type, it will suggest the rest of the sentence based on what you’re typing. It sounds creepy for beginners, but if just imagine all the free time (and lack of grammatical errors) you’ll have.

New Gmail Compose

Google Maps will get AR directions

Have you ever struggled with directions when you are walking with Google Maps on your smartphone? With the new AR feature, the app makes it much easier. It’ll give you exact directions in real time (and in real place) so you never make a wrong turn again.

Google Maps Upgrade

To add to that is a customized section where you can look for restaurants or activities in the neighborhood while also allowing you to be social.

Google News — AI Powered

Thanks to AI, reading the news with Google is about to get better. According to the keynote broadcast, “it uses artificial intelligence to analyze all the content published to the web at any moment, and organize all of those articles, videos, and more into storylines. It spots the ones you might be interested in and puts them in your briefing.”

Google Lens Gets Smarter

With the new Google Lens, you can now point your phone’s camera at text and have it instantly copied into your phone’s text field.

Also, there’s a style match feature to help you identify products and then get directions to shop for them online instantly. For example, if you come across a fancy table lamp at your friend’s place and want to figure out where you could get one for yourself, just point your Google Lens at it and wait for the results. In addition to the product, you’ll also find similar results, just like a traditional Google Image search.

In addition to all of this, Google Photos are also getting an upgrade. You’ll be able to turn your B&W photos into color versions. Plus, Google Assistant is getting a new voice (six, to be precise) so you can tailor your virtual assistant to exactly what you want to hear.

With all of these announcements, Google has us eager and excited for this new technology. Which one are you the most excited for?