78 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 46FEATURE
Hit: AI/machine learning
Google Assistant only just turned one, but it’s already
smarter than most adults. Assistant learned a ton
of new skills in 2017, including how to make calls
and distinguish between voices, but user friendly
features are just part of Google’s AI push. AI and
Machine Learning were the buzzwords of 2017’s I/O
conference, where Google demonstrated a mobile
version of its TensorFlow neural network, which will
let an AI engine run on your phone to make AI apps
smarter, faster, and more secure. Google is already
way ahead of Apple and others with Assistant, and
now it’s just showing off.Miss: Google Home
Mini listening too much
While there are benefits to AI-powered phones and
speakers, there are some serious detriments as well.
Chief among them is privacy. That issue reared its ugly
head with preview units of Google Home Mini. One
early reviewer found that his model was recording
everything he said, whether or not it was preceded
by, ‘OK, Google’. Google blamed it on a faulty touch
controls that was always depressed and thus always
listening, and responded by permanently disabling the
button on all Mini units. But it’s still a reminder of the
fine line between creepy and convenient.Hit: Google Lens
Google Lens can extract email addresses and URLs
from photos, dropping them straight into Google
Assistant. In 2016, Google gave its AI engine a voice