61% of Google's 23 biggest moments in 2023 are about AI

14 out of Google’s 23 biggest moments in 2023 are related to – or entirely dedicated to – AI (artificial intelligence) technology. If you want to know where the world is headed, now’s a pretty good time to correct your compasses.

The search engine giant released some official year-round stats dubbing them “23 of our biggest moments in 2023”, inviting us to look back at some of Google’s biggest launches and updates from the past year.

The number one spot is occupied by Gemini – Google’s largest and (as of 2023) most capable AI model. Google says it’s “the next step toward making AI more helpful for everyone”, building it to be multimodal (it can generalize and understand, operate across and combine different kinds of information like text, audio, video and code). “Gemini is also our most flexible model yet, efficiently built to run on everything from mobile phones to data centers with three sizes: Ultra, Pro and Nano. You can already use Gemini Pro in Bard and Gemini Nano in the Pixel 8 Pro!

The silver goes to Bard – an interactive experiment that lets you collaborate with generative AI. “Bard has expanded considerably since its launch: Bard learned how to code, added visual capabilities, expanded globally and connected to more Google apps and services. Oh, and soon Bard and Assistant will start working together!”

The top three list of Google’s biggest 2023 moments concludes with the Search Generative Experience (SGE) – a Search Labs experiment that uses generative AI to help users understand topics in faster, easier ways and uncover new insights. “You can get AI-powered overviews that bring together the most helpful and relevant information available for your search, with links to learn more. This year, we also added the ability to create images with generative AI”.

Next, Google highlights the release of Android 14 and its tons of customization updates, again underscoring AI and the mobile operating system’s generative AI wallpapers capabilities. “And we launched Magic Compose in beta, a Google Messages generative AI tool that helps you find exactly the right words”.

Where is the Pixel 8 in all of this?

The fifth spot in the list is reserved for 2023’s Pixel phones: the Pixel Fold, the Pixel 7a, the Pixel 8 and the Pixel 8 Pro. “The Pixel 8 Pro is also the first smartphone with AI built-in, now running Gemini Nano to power new features such as Summarize in the Recorder app”, Google brags.

The list goes on to list 18 more Google year-defining moments, which we can separate into two categories for convenience.

AI-centered:

• The Chromebook Plus (“A powerful, AI-driven device”);

• Photo features (“We launched some AI editing tools this year: Magic Editor and Best Take for Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro”);

• Google Workspace (“We expanded the AI-powered Smart Compose feature to Google Chat”);

• Duet AI (“Duet AI in Google Workspace is an AI-powered collaborator that can act as a coach, thought partner, source of inspiration and productivity booster, that became generally available in August”);

• Google Cloud (“We also expanded Duet AI across Google Cloud, providing AI assistance across a wide range of Google Cloud products and services to serve more cloud users”);

• Virtual try-ons (“Google introduced a new AI-powered tool that lets you virtually try on clothing using a diverse set of 80 real models in a range of sizes — from XXS to 4XL”);

• YouTube (“At Made on YouTube 2023, we announced AI features that will enable people to push the bounds of creative expression including AI-generated backgrounds for Shorts”);

• Lab research (“Earlier this year we launched Labs, a home for Google’s experimental AI tools and technologies”);

• Chrome (“We released a whole new look for the Chrome Web Store as well as [...] new features – like refreshed icons, new color palettes and AI-powered extensions”).

Not too AI-centered:

• The Pixel family grew (a new Pixel Tablet debuted in 2023, the Pixel Buds Pro got an upgrade);

• Wearables (the Google Pixel Watch 2 was brought to light, plus the Fitbit Charge 6);

• Health tracking tools (fall detection and oxygen saturation (SpO2) tracking for the Google Pixel Watch);

• Heat and flood alerts for a given area;

• Google Maps (the Immersive View for routes rollout debuted);

• RCS (Rich communication standard, or RCS, hit 1 billion users in Google Messages this year);

• Passkeys for security (with the help of a fingerprint, face scan or pin users can unlock their device and sign into their accounts without the need for a password);

• Fact-checking;

• 25 years of searching (2023 marked 25 years of Google Search).