Microsoft blew away friend and foe alike with Recall, a new feature that lets your computer search for things you’ve seen on it, rather than file names. It does this by constantly taking screenshots, something that has privacy experts sounding alarm bells. But Google, meanwhile, has similar software in the works for the Pixel 9.
Microsoft Recall
Microsoft even temporarily postponed Recall due to the criticism and concerns raised about all those screenshots, but that it is an interesting new possibility is evident from the fact that Google is also working on a similar type of software. In 2023 we already wrote about Pixie, a smart assistant specifically for Google Pixel phones. At that time still in rumor form, but Pixie could well come to Pixel 9. It would use Gmail, Maps and other Google services to create a very personal version of Google Assistant.
According to AndroidAuthority, Google has now called it Google AI and one of the possibilities is to use the camera to ensure that everyone is visible in the group photo. There would also be a kind of Recall, which helps you search in your screenshots. You can also have new and existing screenshots summarized and ask questions about information that can be found in them. The difference is that this function does not take all screenshots by itself: you have to take them yourself. Nice in itself, because you then have more control over it, but on the other hand it is a shame, because if you want to retrieve something you have seen on your device, you must have taken a screenshot of it at that moment.
Google AI on Pixel 9
Finally, the Pixel 9 is also said to be adding a feature called Studio with Google AI: a creative assistant that lets you imagine something and Pixel will then make something out of it, although that’s still a bit vague. Hopefully we’ll learn more about it on August 13, when the Pixel 9 is expected to launch. Google has scheduled a Made By Google event for that day.
Are you waiting for a new AI drop from Google, or are you still having fun with the current AI? Or maybe you would rather not have anything to do with AI? Share it in the comments.