Among the many updates and new features announced at the Google I/O keynote yesterday, there were two that easily take the top spot for the most functionally beneficial. They may not seem flashy or cool, but if implemented correctly, are sure to be saving graces for many users of Google services.
Google Lens working in tandem with the Google Maps
The first pairs Google Maps with Google Lens and allows users to see a live feeds of the area they are attempting to navigate through a smartphone’s camera app. This would be an update to the navigation dot in Google Maps, which attempts to orient users to their direction but can often leave users spinning in circles. While walking, users can identify landmarks and businesses details with Google Lens and can even pull up and AR assistant to help direct them.
Phone conversation between Google Home and a real person.
The second, would indeed be an introvert’s dream. Google continues to upgrade its voice assistant software to be more human-like and able to communicate more seamlessly with humans. Google demonstrated at the I/O keynote, how Google Home can make phone calls and set appointments and reservations with humans on the other end of a call. The demonstration highlighted voice inflections from the Google, such as “hmm,” which would make the caller on the other end think that they were talking to another person.
Several commentators noted the moral ambiguity of having humans communicating with Google Home and not being aware that they are not speaking to another human, but rather a machine. While communicating with automated entities is commonplace within daily life — in addition to smart assistant products, people remain more annoyed than accustomed to speaking with an electronic stand-in — technology has remained such that people always know when they are speaking to something that is not human.
Of course the intent is to free-up time for Google Home users by having the assistant perform such mundane tasks as booking appointments over the phone. Moving forward, such technological developments will likely expand the argument about how personal autonomy are people willing to relinquish in order to simplify their daily tasks.
Still, we can consider a day when a Google Home calls a business to book and appointment and is greeted on the other end by another Google Home, completely removing human’s from the equation.
