In October, Google announced a series of updates and news on artificial intelligence (AI) ranging from navigation with Google Maps to new productivity tools in Chromebooks.
These innovations aim to enhance the daily experience of users and promote responsible AI. Let’s see all the details in this article.
Google Maps receives the biggest AI update ever to enhance navigation experiences: latest news
In October, Google unveiled numerous updates focused on artificial intelligence, designed to revolutionize everyday tools and to expand the impact of AI in strategic sectors such as education, public safety, and research.
The innovations range from assistance in navigation with Google Maps to significant grants to promote responsible adoption of AI in the public sector.
With the largest AI update ever made to Google Maps, users can now ask more complex questions and receive quick and curated answers.
For example, you can ask Maps “things to do with friends” and get personalized suggestions thanks to Gemini technology, as well as concise summaries of a place’s reviews, which save you from having to read individual comments.
New features have also been introduced to help plan the trip efficiently, such as the ability to explore a route in advance.
This update ensures that Google Maps, always a leader in navigation solutions, now offers a more immediate and personalized experience for travelers both locally and internationally.
NotebookLM is another innovative tool launched by Google to help people quickly understand complex topics.
It indeed allows the uploading of various types of documents, such as PDFs, Google Docs, websites, and YouTube videos, which are then summarized by the intelligenza artificiale.
Steven Johnson, renowned author and Google collaborator, shared useful tips on how to leverage NotebookLM to explore new topics or analyze large amounts of information more quickly.
This tool proves to be particularly useful for researchers, students, and professionals who need a deep and quick understanding of the contents.
Google shopping and new Chromebook
The new Google Shopping, currently available in the United States, uses AI to enhance the shopping experience.
Now, product suggestions are provided with brief AI-generated descriptions that highlight what is important to know before proceeding with the purchase.
The platform also offers personalized recommendations and a new page with specific offers.
This innovation allows users to make informed purchases and find what they need at the best price, enhancing the online shopping experience.
Furthermore, the update of artificial intelligence on Google Search expands the possibilities of interaction, allowing people to ask questions in increasingly innovative ways. For example, by taking a photo, recording a video, or even humming a melody.
Advanced AI technology is now capable of recognizing visual and sound content, producing accurate and immediately useful responses.
For example, a user can record a video of fish inside an aquarium and ask “why do they swim together?”. The AI will analyze the visual content and offer a detailed explanation along with additional resources from the web.
Questo aggiornamento rende Google Ricerca uno strumento ancor più potente per comprendere il mondo che ci circonda.
Google has also announced that all Chromebooks, including two new models, will be equipped with artificial intelligence.
Among the new integrated features are tools like Live Translate, which translates texts in real time, and the app Help me write, which facilitates the writing of complex texts.
In particular, the Chromebook Plus by Samsung is now thinner and lighter, while the Lenovo Duet 11” can quickly switch from tablet mode to desktop mode.
These updates make Chromebooks not only productivity tools but true assistenti tecnologici capable of assisting users in various fields.
Grants from Google.org for training on artificial intelligence
At the annual public sector summit, Google.org announced a grant of 15 million dollars aimed at AI training for over 100,000 public sector workers in the United States.
The organizations Partnership for Public Service and InnovateUS will receive these funds to develop programs that allow federal employees to acquire essential skills in AI.
This investment aims to create a technologically prepared workforce. Specifically, capable of using AI to improve cybersecurity and data analysis and to make services for citizens more efficient.
This initiative underscores Google’s commitment to a responsible growth and targeted development of artificial intelligence.
In October, the prestigious Nobel Prize was awarded to three pioneers of artificial intelligence connected to Google for their discoveries that are changing the world.
Geoff Hinton received the Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on neural networks. On the other hand, Demis Hassabis and John Jumper from Google DeepMind were awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry thanks to AlphaFold 2, a software that predicts protein structures.
AlphaFold 2 is already used by over two million researchers globally and has contributed to crucial discoveries in the medical field, such as vaccines against malaria and new treatments against cancer.
This recognition highlights the enormous impact of Google’s research on artificial intelligence, with valuable applications for all of humanity.