Google just concluded its Google for India 2024 annual event where it made a bunch of new announcements woth regards to AI, tailored specifically for Indian consumers and businesses. These include Gemini Live in 9 new Indian languages, AI overviews in new Indian languages, and much more.
Gemini Live in 9 new languages
The Gemini mobile app, your AI assistant from Google, is helping users in India tackle a wide range of tasks – from academic help and creative inspiration to understanding complex information, according to Google. Gemini Live, the feature that allows for two-way voice communication with Gemini, responds in real-time, adapts to your conversation style, and allows you to interrupt, ask follow-up questions, or come back later.
Starting today, Google is rolling out Gemini Live in Hindi, with 8 more Indian languages — Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Telugu, Tamil, Urdu — to follow in the coming weeks.
AI Overviews in new languages
Google has noted in the past that people prefer using Search with AI Overviews, and they find their search results more helpful. Google has seen that Indian users listen to AI Overviews responses more often than other countries. Currently available in English and Hindi, in the coming weeks, you’ll also get helpful AI Overviews in Telugu, Tamil, Bengali, and Marathi.
Google Lens video input support
Soon, you will be able to use Google Lens to search with a video and ask more complex questions about things in motion. Google also explained how this will work with an example, where it said, “Imagine you’re cooking, and the pressure cooker whistle isn’t working properly. Open Lens in the Google app, hold on the shutter button to record a video of it while asking out loud, “How do I fix this?” Our custom Gemini model will make sense of the video and provide a helpful AI Overview with links to learn more.” This capability will soon be available for Search Labs users enrolled in the “AI Overviews and more” experiment, with support for mobile English queries.
AI in Google Maps
Starting to roll out later this month in India, Maps will show you helpful summaries about the restaurant, leveraging Google’s Gemini model which analyzes Maps’ billions of reviews – so you can understand at a glance what people are saying about it, and quickly decide if that restaurant is right for you.
Google Maps now allows users to search for not just places, but also specific items and experiences. Whether you’re searching for themed birthday cakes or discovering unique picnic spots, AI-powered image recognition analyzes billions of photos shared by the Google Maps community to provide relevant, image-driven results and an interactive map for visual exploration.
AI for Small and Medium Sized Businesses in India
New AI tools in Product Studio in Google Merchant Center have also been introduced, which will help businesses showcase products more creatively to shoppers. Image-to-Video Animation transforms photos into appealing videos. Businesses can even create visuals that match their unique brand style by uploading an image that represents their aesthetic.
By linking their social accounts through their Google Business Profile, businesses can also showcase deals from their social media posts, alongside deals from popular aggregators like Zomato, Swiggy, EazyDiner, and MagicPin. Google will further build on this feature in the near future.
Next, through the Google Merchant Center, businesses can now offer chat options via SMS or WhatsApp right from their Search listings, making it easier to connect with customers. India is one of the first markets where Google will roll this out with a select set of merchants, and it will work to expand to all businesses in the coming months.
Google Pay partners with Muthoot Finance and Aditya Birla Finance Limited
Google Pay’s AI-powered support guide can now answer users’ questions about repayment cycles, eligibility criteria, EMIs and much more, while providing a link to the relevant, detailed terms and conditions.
Google is also adding Aditya Birla Finance Limited to the portfolio of credit providers on Google Pay, giving users a wider range of credit products to choose from, to meet their individual needs.
Further, it is partnering with Muthoot Finance for facilitating gold-backed loans to Google Pay, unlocking a valuable credit option for millions, particularly in rural India. This collaboration opens up an avenue to mobilize their latent gold assets, at affordable interest rates and with greater flexibility to chart a course for their futures through education, business or anything else.
ABHA Health ID Cards in Google Wallet
Google is also working to support the Government of India’s Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) that is being implemented by the National Health Authority. Starting next year, ABHA health ID cards, which enables people to store, share and receive digital health information seamlessly with healthcare groups across the country, will be accessible on Google Wallet in partnership with Eka Care. To ensure privacy, ABHA ID holders will need to authenticate their devices with a fingerprint, PIN, or passcode to add or access their ABHA ID in Google Wallet.
Read More: Google’s Gmail is Getting New Summary Cards With a “Happening Soon” Section Alongside
Gemini-backed Open-source AI Agent Framework
At Google for India 2024, the company also announced an open-source AI Agent Framework in India, powered by Gemini. By combining the power of open networks with advanced AI, this initiative aims to deliver scaled impact, empowering both businesses and consumers. It will unify access to information and services across different sectors, with an initial focus on revolutionizing agriculture and skilling.
Data Sovereignty and Security with Gemini 1.5 Flash for India
Beginning later this year, Indian organizations across all sectors, including public sector enterprises, will have the option to both store their data at rest and conduct machine learning processing for Google’s large language model, Gemini 1.5 Flash, entirely within India. This provides even greater control and security for organizations using our most-advanced AI models.
DPI in a box
Google is launching “DPI in a Box” with EkStep Foundation and Airtel. This initiative will provide a readily deployable model based on key components of India’s DPI, including:
- Other Digital Public Goods: Incorporating best practices and learnings from India’s DPI journey.
- Open Networks: Enabling interoperability and seamless integration across different platforms.
- Identity: Using India’s digital identity system for secure and efficient authentication.
Enhanced Fraud Protection within Google Play Protect
To better protect Android users from financial fraud, Google is piloting enhanced fraud protection within Google Play Protect in India. The company will establish a new Google Safety Engineering Center (GSEC) in India in 2025. The center will tackle online threats by combining the expertise of Google’s safety engineers, local policy experts, and government partners; focusing on combating scams and fraud, bolstering security for businesses and government, and advancing research in online safety.
Partnership with Adani Energy and CleanMax
At Google for India 2024, the company announced two new clean energy partnerships in India that will add 186 megawatts of renewable power to the grid. It is partnering with CleanMax to harness wind and solar power in Karnataka and Rajasthan, and with Adani Energy for a new solar-wind hybrid plant in Gujarat. “These projects will support Google’s offices and cloud infrastructure while contributing to India’s clean energy goals,” says Google.
AI Skills House
AI Skills House, a new initiative, aims to equip 10 million Indians with AI training through easily accessible digital courses. Learners can access resources, including Google’s flagship AI courses, on YouTube and Google Cloud Skills Boost. Further, Google’s philanthropic arm, Google.org is supporting Central Square Foundation with a $4 million grant.