AI and Gemini: The Google for India 2024 event brought some exciting updates for everyone, showing how technology is advancing and becoming a part of our everyday lives. Google announced major changes, particularly with its AI model, Gemini, which is now part of several Google products like Maps and Search. These updates aim to make life easier and more connected. Let’s dive into everything that was introduced at the event and why it’s important for India.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Gemini AI | Now supports 8 Indian languages and is integrated into Google products like Maps and Search. |
| Google Maps | Summarizes reviews, offers weather alerts, and recognizes images better. |
| Google Lens | Can analyze videos and offer AI-powered answers. |
| Merchant Center | Introduces tools to turn product images into videos and chat with customers via WhatsApp. |
| Google Pay | Offers gold-backed loans and a support guide powered by Gemini. |
| Play Protect | Blocks harmful apps automatically to prevent scams and malware. |
| AI Skills House | Free courses on AI for students, job seekers, and officials, in multiple languages. |
| Healthcare | Linked NHA health IDs to Google Wallet and created health panels with Apollo Hospitals. |
What is Google’s Gemini?
First, let’s understand what Gemini is. Gemini is an advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) system that powers many of Google’s tools. It helps make Google’s products smarter and more efficient by understanding the needs of users better. For example, when you ask Google for information, Gemini ensures that you get accurate and helpful answers faster. It can also analyze pictures and videos, turning them into useful information.
Gemini’s New Role in Google Products
At this event, Google announced that Gemini is now integrated into products like Google Maps and Google Lens. This means when you search for places on Maps, Gemini will help summarize reviews and give you important details more efficiently. If you’re wondering about cool places for a picnic or need help finding a themed birthday cake, Gemini will now make it easier to find exactly what you’re looking for.
Another exciting update is that Gemini now supports many Indian languages. Earlier, Gemini was only available in English and Hindi. But now, Google is bringing it to languages like Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu. This update is crucial as it makes AI accessible to more people across India.
Google Maps Just Got Smarter
Google Maps has always been a go-to app for navigation, but with Gemini, it’s becoming much smarter. For instance, it will now summarize reviews of places, helping you decide whether a location is worth visiting. Imagine wanting to know the best restaurants in your area — Maps will now give you a quick summary of reviews instead of making you read them all one by one.
Google Maps will also recognize pictures better and give you suggestions based on what you are looking at. So, if you upload a photo of a location or landmark, Maps will help you find similar places or tell you more about that spot.
Another useful feature coming to Maps is weather-related alerts. If there’s fog, low visibility, or road flooding due to rain, Maps will warn you in advance. This will help keep you safe during bad weather conditions.
Google Lens Can Now Analyze Videos
Google Lens, a tool that helps you learn more about things just by pointing your phone camera at them, will now be able to analyze videos. This is huge because it means you can search within videos too! So, if you’re watching a video and want to know more about something in it, Google Lens will help you find answers right away. This will be available for people using the AI Overviews experiment.
Helping Business Owners with Google Merchant Center
For those who run businesses, Google has introduced new features in the Google Merchant Center. One of the coolest features is the “Image to Video Animation” tool. It allows business owners to turn their product images into videos, making them more attractive to potential customers. Restaurants can also benefit from this, as Google will help convert menu photos into a proper, formatted menu for their online profiles.
Google is also making it easier for businesses to showcase deals and offers. For example, if you own a restaurant, you can highlight deals from apps like Zomato or Swiggy directly on your Google Business profile. And soon, businesses will be able to chat with customers through WhatsApp or SMS, making communication quicker and more personal.
Google Pay and Gold-Backed Loans
Google Pay is already popular in India for making payments. Now, it’s partnering with Muthoot Finance to offer gold-backed loans. These loans will come with affordable interest rates and flexible repayment options, making it easier for people to get the financial help they need. Also, with the help of Gemini, Google Pay will have a new support guide that can answer your questions about loans and help you make better decisions.
Fighting Scams with Google Play Protect
Online scams and malware have become a big problem, but Google is stepping up to tackle this issue. Google Play Protect, which keeps your phone safe, is getting a big upgrade. It will now automatically block apps that seem dangerous or have been downloaded from unknown sources. Google says it has already stopped more than 900,000 harmful app installations, making your phone safer to use.
Learning New Skills with AI Skills House
Google is not just focusing on tools but also on education. At the event, they announced a new learning platform called the AI Skills House. This platform offers courses on AI for students, job seekers, and even government officials. The courses will be available for free on platforms like YouTube and Google Cloud Skills Boost. Some of the topics include “Introduction to Generative AI” and “Introduction to Responsible AI.” And what’s even better? These courses will soon be available in Hindi and other regional languages, making them more accessible to people across India.
AI in Healthcare
In the healthcare sector, Google is working to make it easier for people to access health information. They are collaborating with the Indian government to link health IDs issued by the National Health Authority (NHA) to Google Wallet. This will help bridge the gap between patients and healthcare providers. Additionally, Google is working with Apollo Hospitals to create over 800 health knowledge panels in English and Hindi. These panels will appear in Google Search and provide accurate health information.
A Bright Future with AI
The Google for India 2024 event showed us how AI can make our lives easier, safer, and more connected. With tools like Gemini becoming more powerful and widely available, we can expect everyday tasks to become more efficient. Whether it’s navigating through foggy weather, learning new skills, or even securing a loan, AI is making things more accessible for everyone. And with Google’s focus on regional languages and inclusivity, these changes are set to benefit millions of people across India.
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