The Biggest Highlights From Google I/O 2024

Now that Google I/O is wrapping up, one of 2024’s biggest developer conferences has come to an end. AI was the theme of this year, as the search engine giant announced several projects that will leverage upcoming developments in artificial intelligence. Here are the most newsworthy announcements from this year’s conference.

New Maintenance & Entertainment Options

A lot of the announcements at I/O were housekeeping – small features aimed at Android and Google products. Wear OS 5 is coming with its main selling point being 20% more battery life. Android phones will also get more features as part of the Android 15 beta, mainly stolen device protection. Lastly, cars using Android software can get streaming services like Max but also games like Angry Birds if they’re compatible.

Streaming services and interactive entertainment have risen to prominence outside the vehicle. That’s why companies like Netflix and Amazon have become fully-fledged production companies while elsewhere, iGaming sites offer casino games and other activities. For instance, visitors to those sites can play Plinko Go, a slot inspired by the classic game from The Price is Right. As online entertainment media gets more widespread, consumers will expect to have access to it on most of their devices. With Android’s systems, idle vehicles can now access a wider range of entertainment.

These are all quality-of-life changes that show Google’s continued commitment to improving the services it already offers. That’s just one half of Google I/O, however, as the rest focuses on developers showcasing new and upcoming releases within the Google tech ecosphere. They continue to improve their core service too – the search engine that made Google a household name. Some of their most recent improvements have been SEO overhauls for Google Reviews.

Google’s AI Progress

As a major tech company that operates in the age of AI, Google wants to be the one to introduce it to the mainstream. That’s why AI development was the big focus at this year’s I/O conference, starting with a focus on conquering AI hallucinations. These hallucinations, explained here by IBM, occur when an AI system makes an incorrect assumption based on its training data. As a result, its output doesn’t match reality. Solving that is a big concern for Google, along with other key AI developers like OpenAI and IBM.

Alongside conversations around AI hallucination, Google revealed its LearnLM model that intends to leverage AI to help educate future generations of students. In a similar vein, they promoted Google Cloud’s Vertex AI studio for developers or programming enthusiasts to play with the company’s publicly available tools. Improvements to Google’s Gemini platform were also on the cards, namely search and image description capabilities.

Google Doubles Down on Smart Homes

The other big trend at I/O this year was smart homes. While smart TVs have become very popular, most people haven’t adopted a smart home with multiple interconnected appliances yet. Amazon leads with their Alexa and Echo systems, but Google is trying to catch up with proprietary and Android-based smart platforms. As part of those plans, the Android app for the Eve smart home platform is finally coming to fruition after its announcement in 2022.

Besides Android products well-known for their connectivity, the company also has Google Home. At I/O 2024, they announced that they are broadening API access for the platform, so app makers won’t face as many restrictions when developing for them. The expanded API is compatible with Matter devices but will also work using the iOS ecosystem too.