Google kicked off its annual I/O developer conference with a clear emphasis on AI, unveiling a suite of new Gemini-powered solutions to empower developers.
At the forefront is an expansion of Google’s Gemini language model, including the public preview of 1.5 Flash which is designed for high-frequency tasks. Developers can join a waitlist to preview a groundbreaking two million context window for 1.5 Pro.
“Streamline workflows and optimise AI-powered applications with 1.5 Flash, our model for high-frequency tasks, accessible through the Gemini API in Google AI Studio,” the company stated. The new models are available in over 200 countries and territories.
Google also announced API enhancements like context caching to improve performance for large prompts, parallel function calling, and video frame extraction support. The company is further opening up the Gemma family of open models used to build Gemini, introducing PaliGemma for multimodal vision-language tasks.
To foster an open AI ecosystem, Google highlighted integration across frameworks like Keras, TensorFlow, PyTorch, JAX, and RAPIDS cuDF. Developers can leverage tools like OpenXLA for accelerated training and LoRA in Keras for efficient model fine-tuning.
On the Google AI Edge front, the company is expanding TensorFlow Lite support to enable direct deployment of PyTorch models to mobile. Enhancements also streamline bringing AI models to edge environments like Android and the web.
For Android development specifically, Google previewed Gemini in Android Studio to simplify building high-quality apps with AI assistance. Gemini Nano and the new AICore system service will enable on-device language models for low-latency, privacy-preserving experiences on the latest Pixel and Samsung Galaxy devices.
Other Android-related launches include first-class support for Kotlin Multiplatform to share code across platforms, performance optimisations in Jetpack Compose, and features like AI-powered stylus handwriting recognition.
On the web side, Google teased Gemini Nano integration in Chrome desktop for on-device AI capabilities—of which an early preview program can be joined here. The new Speculation Rules API utilises AI to streamline page load times, while View Transitions promise fluid multi-page navigation experiences. Chrome DevTools will also gain AI-powered insights to ease debugging.
For full-stack, multi-platform development, Google opened Project IDX to all without a waitlist. The unified development solution integrates with tools like Chrome DevTools and offers streamlined deployment to Cloud Run.
Flutter 3.22 brings performance wins via Impeller on Android and web compilation support, while updates to Firebase bolster modern app development with features like serverless PostgreSQL connectivity.
Google also revealed Checks, an “AI-powered compliance platform” to simplify app privacy and compliance workflows during the coding process.
Lastly, the revamped Google Developer Program offers incentives like free Gemini access, learning resources, and cloud credits for its communities.
“We’re on a mission to help turn your big ideas and existing projects into reality,” Google stated. “Through continued innovation of tools and platforms, let’s build the future together.”
With AI infused throughout its latest developer tooling, Google doubled down on its generative AI ambitions while aiming to help coders build powerful, intelligent applications spanning mobile, web, and the full stack.
See also: Stack Overflow and OpenAI partner to empower developers
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