In the lead-up to Google I/O 2024, it was widely anticipated that AI would be a central theme. The event kicked off energetically with YouTube star Marc Rebillet making a grand entrance in a bathrobe, emerging from a giant cup. His lively presence set an exciting tone for the event, as he engaged the audience with spontaneous musical ideas brought to life by Google’s AI DJ software. This dynamic start was perfectly aligned with the theme, as emphasized by CEO Sundar Pichai, who noted that “AI” was mentioned 121 times by Google executives throughout the event.
By the end of the presentation, two pressing questions lingered in my mind. First, is Google attempting to address non-existent issues in the average person’s life by pushing their Gemini AI? Second, is there truly a demand for specialized AI hardware costing several hundred dollars when smartphones are increasingly equipped with remarkably advanced AI capabilities?