Google Pixel Gets AI Upgrades, Musks AI Image Creator Prompts a Surge in Deepfakes

Google continues to press ahead with its AI-enhanced vision of the future. This week, the company announced new versions of its Pixel hardware — including its smartphone, watch and earbuds — that feature generative AI enhancements powered by its Gemini chatbot.CNET’s Abrar Al-Heeti summed up last week’s Google news this way: “When Tuesday’s Made by Google keynote rolled around, the tech giant dedicated the first half hour to talking up Gemini, even going so far as to demo AI updates on other Android devices like the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra — before finally unveiling the Pixel 9 lineup. Welcome to hardware reveals in the age of AI, where highly anticipated gadgets take a back seat at their own party.”

The Pixel 9 update includes a new processor, more memory, a higher-resolution ultrawide camera, a bigger battery, and a slightly larger screen. It also has an AI-powered Android 14 operating system that includes everything “from AI-generated weather summaries to a new image generation app called Pixel Studio for creating pictures on the fly,” wrote CNET mobile reviewer Lisa Eadicicco.