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Meta brings the AI functions of its sunglasses to Europe, Gemini's live image recognition becomes accessible to all, and Grok also gets virtual eyes
First we chatted with the AI bots, then we talked to them - and if the manufacturers have their way, we will also show them our surroundings in future so that they can comment on them. What was previously a niche program is now set to find its way into the masses. And in Europe too.
Following the European launch of Meta AI, the Facebook group Meta is now also offering the smart functions of its Rayban sunglasses, which are already available in the USA, in various European countries, including Austria. Initially, it is possible to ask the sunglasses equipped with Meta AI a question by voice input, and the answer is then output via the sunglasses' small speakers. In the near future, the glasses' integrated cameras will also be used to ask questions about visible objects in the environment.
But it's not just Meta, Google is also expanding its potential user base for a similar feature. All Android users will be able to use the image recognition and screen sharing function in Gemini Live free of charge, which was previously reserved for owners of Pixel 9 or Galaxy S25 smartphones. Here, too, the AI answers questions about things it sees via the camera or on the screen. And Elon Musk's Grok now also has digital eyes, albeit only via the iPhone app for the time being.
Of course, where there is light, there is also shadow, and once again this means data protection. Concerns have been expressed, particularly with regard to Meta's smart Rayban glasses, that people could not only be filmed but also identified by the AI. This is not science fiction: in the fall of 2024, Harvard students were already able to determine the personal data of strangers in real time using commercially available Meta smart glasses.
All eyes on Google, efforts at Apple
Another topic that has caused a stir in recent days: the antitrust proceedings against Google. And in this case, an eye is also being cast on the topic of AI, as the company could use the technology to further strengthen its position. Among other things, Google is said to be paying "enormous sums of money" to Samsung to have Gemini installed as the standard AI app on its smartphones. Should the Google business be split up, an AI competitor has already signaled its interest: OpenAI would like to take over the Chrome browser.
In this context, it was made public that Gemini now has 350 million monthly and 35 million daily active users. In October, it still had nine million daily active users and 90 million monthly active users. Despite the growth, however, the figures are still lower than those of the competition: Meta AI has 500 million monthly users, while OpenAI has 400 million.
However, Google has also attracted the attention of competition authorities on this side of the Atlantic. The EU Commission is investigating Google's AI overviews after publishers recorded losses in traffic and advertising revenue following their introduction.
These are problems that Apple does not have: There, they are making more of an effort to catch up. One of the ways in which the new Siri engineering boss Mike Rockwell is hoping to achieve this is by bringing people into the team who previously worked on the Vision Pro headset. Some of the once promised features of Apple Intelligence are still awaited. Previously, Apple had advertised AI functions in commercials that did not even exist, but after various complaints, the company is now much more cautious with its promises.
New tools and features
In terms of new features and tools, one of the things we can look forward to this week is that Google Workspace will receive components from NotebookLM. People with Gemini Advanced accounts can use Google's video AI Veo 2 in Gemini. Developers can test Google's hybrid reasoning model Gemini 2.5 Flash.
Microsoft, on the other hand, wants to integrate Copilot into the Xbox app. OpenAI has entered into a partnership with the Washington Post and is incorporating their content into ChatGPT. Sam Altman's team also enables developers to integrate OpenAI's image generator into their own applications via API. The o3 and o4-mini versions can now determine exactly where a particular photo was taken.
There is also good news from European providers. For example, the Swedish start-up Lovable, which specializes in vibe coding, has released version 2.0 of its tool, which even non-experts with no coding experience can use to build simple applications. Among other things, the tool now includes more options for cooperation and security checks.
There is also news from Paris. It was only in the fall that Thomas Wolf, Chief Science Officer (CSO) at Hugging Face, told me that, in addition to providing AI models and applications, the platform also wanted to get involved in the field of robotics, and now these plans are becoming more concrete: With the acquisition of Pollen Robotics, the French want to offer open source robots, namely the software as well as construction plans and 3D models.
(Jan 25 (Reuters) - The cloud computing arm of Alphabet Inc (GOOGL. O), opens new tab, announced on Thursday that it had entered into a partnership with startup Hugging Face, to facilitate the development of artificial intelligence (AI) software on the company's Google Cloud.25.01.2024)
https://www.derstandard.de/story/3000000266847/ki-google-chrome-chatgpt
