Google announced that its latest flagship Pixel phone the Google Pixel 8 would have powerful generative AI models.

The AI models would be running independently on the device, as the search engine giant seeks to lure buyers away from the latest iPhone.

Running on a powerful chip, Google’s Pixel 8 Pro would carry out certain AI functions on the device itself instead of relying on transfers from cloud data centres that require heavy bandwidth. 

The announcement by Google caps the autumn release season for big tech hardware that saw Apple unveil the iPhone 15 series and Meta officially launch its latest VR headset.

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Pixel phones will also initiate trials for an AI-enhanced assistant, aimed at incorporating numerous capabilities akin to Google’s ChatGPT-inspired Bard directly into the phone’s ecosystem.

Over time, Google envisions this AI assistant offering real-time assistance, which could involve tasks like recommending the optimal hiking route, sorting through emails, or helping plan a birthday celebration.

Users will interact with this assistant through spoken commands, on-screen prompts, or image-based inputs, mirroring the functionality of existing, more advanced chatbots.

During the product launch event held ,Rick Osterloh, the Senior Vice President of Devices and Services at Google, announced that the company’s AI teams had successfully condensed AI models to be “efficient enough to operate on our top-tier Pixel devices.

“This breakthrough promises significant improvements to the current AI capabilities available on Pixel phones, including functions like photo enhancement to remove imperfections or unwanted elements.”

Osterloh further disclosed that this on-device AI capability would eventually extend to other AI features, hinting at an even broader range of enhancements in the future.