Google has unveiled a major upgrade to its artificial intelligence capabilities during its recent developer conference. The company’s new technology, known as Project Astra, will now drive a host of updated features across Search, the Gemini AI app, and platforms for outside developers.
The latest addition to Google Search includes a unique Search Live option, which leverages Project Astra’s low latency and multimodal abilities. With this enhancement, users can activate the “Live” button in AI Mode or visual search, allowing them to pose questions in real time while directing their phone camera at objects or scenes.
Project Astra streams both live video and audio directly into its advanced AI model, providing nearly instantaneous responses to user queries. This represents a noticeable improvement in speed and interactivity compared to prior versions of Google’s AI tools.
Broader Integration of Astra Technology
Initially introduced through a remarkable smart glasses demonstration, Project Astra originated from Google DeepMind as an experiment in creating almost real time, multimodal AI systems. While Google is collaborating with renowned partners like Samsung and Warby Parker to bring dedicated Astra-powered glasses to the market, an official launch remains unscheduled.
Developers can now tap into Astra’s technology through the upgraded Live API, enabling new experiences that incorporate both audio and visual inputs while also delivering native speech output. This interface now includes improved emotional recognition, allowing the AI to tailor responses more thoughtfully, along with enhanced decision-making borrowed from Gemini’s advanced reasoning models.
In the Gemini app itself, users will soon have access to real time video features and new screen-sharing tools powered by Astra. Previously, these visual and conversational enhancements were only available to those with premium subscriptions, but the rollout will now reach all users.
Google strongly believes that Project Astra could be a defining part of a new era for both its products and potential hardware devices like smart glasses. While more information on the design of these glasses has surfaced, their official debut remains on the horizon.
