Google has rolled out a novel feature for its Google Meet platform which allows users to send an AI bot to attend meetings in their place. This AI bot, integrated as part of the Google Duet AI software, can present a written message to meeting participants, and post-meeting, provides the user with AI-generated notes and follow-up tasks. Although the bot cannot convey real-time user inputs or verbally participate, it's seen as an auxiliary tool to boost collaboration.
Kristina Behr, Vice President of products for Google Workspace, stated that the technology is meant to support and not replace human interaction. If numerous bots are present in a meeting, their main role would be documenting the proceedings.
This announcement is one of many generative AI-related developments from Google, unveiled during their annual Google Cloud Next conference. Among these, a notable partnership with Six Flags theme parks focuses on leveraging Google's AI to guide users to the shortest queues, whether for rides or food. Additionally, an upgrade to Google's Codey, an AI model for code generation, now offers better performance and supports a broader range of programming languages.
Recent research from MIT highlighted the value of generative AI, like ChatGPT, in enhancing the quality and efficiency of regular business communications. OpenAI believes that up to 80% of jobs can weave generative AI into their processes. Meanwhile, McKinsey projects this technology can contribute between $2.6 to $4.4 trillion annually to the global economy.
Despite Google's foundational contributions to AI, the company faced challenges keeping up with the rapid progress and popularity of generative AI tools like ChatGPT. However, at the recent Google I/O conference, a range of new AI features were announced, covering areas from search chatbots to data organization in productivity tools.
In response to the growing emphasis on AI, Google's leadership has been adjusting its approach. Co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, who had taken a step back in 2019, are now more involved, especially Brin, who is directly influencing AI initiatives. This strategic realignment also led to the merging of Google's two premier AI divisions, Google Brain and DeepMind, earlier this year.
In this digital age, where AI seamlessly integrates into our daily routines, the prospect of bots representing us in meetings is both fascinating and groundbreaking. How do you see this evolution affecting the future of human collaboration and communication? We'd love to hear your thoughts and perspectives. Dive into the conversation below and don't forget to share the article with your network to get their insights as well!