TECHNOLOGY
Google's Big Show: What's Cooking in 2025?
Mountain View, California, USAWed May 14 2025
Google's annual developer conference is just around the corner. It's happening on May 20, and it's the big event where Google shows off all the cool stuff they've been working on for the past year. This year, things are a bit different. Google had a separate Android event earlier, on May 13, where they unveiled some exciting updates. Now, all eyes are on the main event, where artificial intelligence is expected to steal the show.
The Android event was a hit, with Google's Android Ecosystem President, Sameer Samat, taking the stage. He introduced Material 3 Expressive, a new design that's coming to Wear OS 6 and other platforms. They also talked about new features like an "Ongoing notifications" bar and scam-detection tools. Plus, they hinted at more to come for Android XR, which is Google's latest attempt at augmented reality.
Google has been dropping hints about what's to come, and AI is at the top of the list. They've been tight-lipped about the details, but expect to see some big updates to AI features like AI Overviews and AI Mode. They might also talk about Project Mariner, an AI-powered web-surfing agent they showed off last year. Google is all about AI now, so expect to see that reflected in their announcements.
One thing that's been making waves is Project Astra, an AI assistant with advanced image recognition. It's still a work in progress, but it's impressive enough that Google might give us an update at the event. Another rumor is that Google might be launching a Pinterest-like service. It's supposed to show image results based on your searches and let you save them in folders. It's unclear if it's a standalone app or part of Google Search.
Wear OS is also getting an update. Wear OS 6 is coming, and it's got that new Material 3 Expressive design. It's not clear if we'll hear more about it at the event, but it's likely to get some attention.
Google has a history of leaks, so it's hard to say if there will be any surprises. But one thing's for sure, the event is going to be packed with exciting announcements. So, mark your calendars for May 20 and 21, because that's when all the action is going down.
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questions
What are the potential implications of integrating AI Overviews and AI Mode into Google's ecosystem, and how might they impact user privacy?
If Google's Pinterest competitor is more like Cosmos, will it be the 'Pinterest Lite' that everyone's been waiting for?
Could the emphasis on AI at I/O 2025 be a distraction from Google's plans to monetize user data more aggressively?