At its annual Google I/O event, the company unveiled a new design for its Android operating system, launched remote work collaboration tools, detailed an integration with Samsung and demonstrated an AI engine called LaMDA.
Google said the Android redesign makes the OS more expressive, dynamic and personal. The expressive element is accomplished through bigger buttons, a feature which may not be universally popular because it can reduce the number visible on the screen.
The dynamic element includes faster response times and more animation, Google said.
It also features voice control allowing users to place calls or read out text by pressing and holding the home button.
Personalisation options give each phone a unique appearance by using colours from the picture on the home screen to drive options for buttons, applications and widgets.
In addition to the new design, Google explained it reduced the CPU time needed for core Android services, which will result in longer battery life.
Google previously made it clear remote work is here to stay for its employees, and it increased the integration of its meeting and document services to enable people on a video call to collaborate on the same paperwork in real time.
The company also indicated its engineers are working more closely with developers at Samsung, the biggest maker of Android phones, combining Google’s Wear OS with Samsung’s Tizen wearable device platform.
One of the most compelling parts of Google’s I/O event was the demonstration of its LaMDA AI, which conducted two conversations with people. The cadence, expression and content of the AI engine’s speech were incredibly lifelike.
Google noted security is one of the most important ways AI is helping people, stating its Gmail service automatically detects and rejects 100 million phishing emails each day.
