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A12 business
Thursday 5 OcTOber 2023

Google packs more artificial

intelligence into new Pixel phones,

raises prices for devices by $100

of its AI gambits, the Bard-
backed Google Assistant
initially will only be avail-
able to a test audience
before it is gradually of-
fered on an opt-in basis to
more owners of the latest
Pixels.
As has become common
across the industry, most
of the other technology in
the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro
phones unveiled Wednes-
day will be similar to what
has already been avail-
able in last year’s models.
One of the main selling
This image provided by Google shows the new Google Pixel 8 points of the new phones
Pro smartphone.
(Google via AP) will be improved cameras,
including more AI-empow-
ered editing tools that will
By Michael Liedtke a conduit for having “AI in mostly be available on the
Associated Press your hand.” Pixel 8 Pro. The AI features
(AP) - Google on Wednes- The next moves will include will be able to spruce up
day unveiled a next-gen- allowing the 7-year-old photos, zoom into certain
eration Pixel smartphones Google Assistant to tap parts of images, substitute
lineup that will be infused into the company’s re- faces taken from other pic-
with more artificial intel- cently hatched AI chatbot, tures in group shots and
ligence tools capable of Bard, to perform tasks. The erase objects and people
writing captions about expanded access to Bard from images.
photos that can also be al- comes just two weeks after Google is counting on the
tered by the technology. Google began connecting new AI twists added to this
The injection of more artifi- the AI chatbot to the com- year’s lineup to be enough
cial intelligence, or AI, into pany's other popular ser- to justify a price increase —
Google’s products marks vice such as Gmail, Maps with the starting prices for
another step toward bring- and YouTube. both the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8
ing more of the technology Google is leaving it up Pro increasing by $100 over
into the mainstream – a to each user to decide last year’s comparable
push company executives whether to allow Bard to models.
signaled they were em- interact with its other ser- That will result in the Pixel 8
barking upon during their vices, an effort to address selling for $700 and the Pixel
annual developer’s confer- worries about AI sifting 8 Pro for $1,000 when they
ence five months ago. through potentially sensi- go on sale in stores next
“Our focus is on making tive information as it seeks week. Apple also raised
AI more helpful for every- to learn more about lan- the starting price of its top-
one in a way that is bold guage and people. end iPhone by $100 when
and responsible,” Rick One of the new tricks that its latest models came out
Osterloh, Google’s senior the Bard-backed assistant last month, signaling infla-
vice president of devices is supposed to be able to tionary pressures are start-
and services, said during do is scan a photo taken ing to drive up the costs
Wednesday's event held on a phone powered by of devices that have be-
in New York. As if to leave Google’s Android software come essential pieces of
no doubt about Google’s and generate a pithy cap- modern life.
current priorities, Osterloh tion suitable for posting on The Pixel 8 Pro will also be
described the new Pixel 8 social media. As Google able to take people's tem-
and Pixel 8 Pro phones as has been doing with most peratures — an addition
that could be a drawing
card in a post-pandemic
era as various strains of
COVID evolve. But Google
is still trying to get regulato-
ry approval to enable that
capability in the U.S. A 2020
phone, the Honor Play 4
Pro made my Huawei, also
was able to screen for fe-
vers, so Google isn’t break-
ing totally new ground.q