Google just concluded its Made By Google event this year with a new update on Project Astra, which also gained the limelight at Google I/O 2024.
The company shared its plans of building advanced seeing and talking responsive agents with Project Astra.
At the Pixel 9 launch, Rick Osterloh, SVP of platforms and devices at Google, concluded that among the first places where Project Astra will come to life will be Gemini Live, a chat mode limited to Gemini Advanced.
With technology like Project Astra, it’s easy to envision a future where people could have an expert Al assistant by their side, through a phone or a pair of glasses. And some of these capabilities are coming to Google products, like the Gemini app and web experience, later this year.
Project Astra is in the early stages of testing, and there are no specific launch dates. However, a test version of the model is available.
Competing With GPT- 4o
With the launch of Gemini Live, an arms race has kicked off with OpenAI, as it challenges ChatGPT’s voice mode by offering multiple voice options and the ability to interrupt and change topics mid-conversation.
Meanwhile, OpenAI has released GPT-4o, a more efficient and powerful model than GPT-4 Turbo. It’s twice as capable, more affordable, and enables users to generate video, audio, and image content, transforming site interactions.
Google also claims an early access programme for its voice mode. CEO Sundar Pichai said that Google’s Project Astra will be available later this year for its Gemini users. Moreover, the demo also showed that Gemini will be available on both smart glasses and smartphones while OpenAI only teased their model working on smartphones.
Despite the event highlighting several achievements, in a now deleted video, former Google CEO Eric Schmidt dropped a bombshell, asserting that Google’s competitive edge dulled significantly when it prioritised employees working from home and leaving early over the relentless pursuit of victory.
He suggested that the tech giant’s shift towards a more relaxed, remote-friendly culture inadvertently blunted its cutting edge.
Schmidt implied that flexible hours and home offices led to complacency, allowing rivals to gain an edge in innovation and market dominance. This highlights the balance between employee satisfaction and maintaining competitiveness in the tech industry.
Project Astra
At the event, Google showcased a video demonstrating its camera’s ability to identify objects and people in a room, recognise codes, and determine cities based on a view. It even creatively named a duo of a dog and its toy.
The product was available for the hands-on experience at Google I/O 2024.
Previously, Google also announced new prototype assistants called Gems and personalised AI chatbots which users could create, that quickly provide information by watching videos, listening to speech, and organising it effectively.
It is also confirmed Astra would be available in its products like the Gemini app and website, but hasn’t yet confirmed its integration with their glasses.
Osterloh closed the presentation with a glimpse into the future of Gemini, tying it to Project Astra. “One of the first places you'll see Project Astra come to life is right in Gemini Live,” he said.
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