MIT Technology Review recently had the opportunity to experience Astra in a closed-door live demonstration, highlighting the impressive capabilities of this new technology. However, the review notes a notable contrast between the highly polished promotional material and the live demonstration itself.
Astra is powered by the Gemini 2.0 framework, allowing it to respond to inquiries and execute tasks using text, speech, images, and videos. It integrates existing Google applications like Search, Maps, and Lens to enhance its functionality. Bibo Xu, who is the product manager for Astra, described it as a combination of some of the most advanced information retrieval systems available today.
In addition to Astra, the Gemini 2.0 framework supports other new agents, including Mariner, which can browse the internet on command, Jules, a coding assistant, and Gemini for Games, which offers in-game tips through chat interactions.
Moreover, in a week filled with announcements, Google DeepMind revealed new models and technologies, such as Veo for video generation, Imagen 3 for image generation, and Willow, a novel chip designed for quantum computing. CEO Demis Hassabis notably received a Nobel Prize in Sweden during this time.
DeepMind claims that Gemini 2.0 offers double the speed of its predecessor, Gemini 1.5, and performs better across various benchmarks, such as MMLU-Pro, which assesses large language models’ proficiency in subjects like math, physics, healthcare, psychology, and philosophy.
Despite these advancements, the competition between leading models such as Gemini 2.0 and offerings from rivals like OpenAI and Anthropic has become increasingly close. The focus has shifted from the quality of these models to their practical applications, elevating the importance of AI agents in the current technological landscape.
The hands-on experience with Project Astra took place in a secure setting, reinforcing its status as a significant project for Google. The atmosphere, marked by a sense of secrecy and innovation, showcased a team dedicated to product development, with Xu’s dog, Charlie, adding a touch of warmth to the high-stakes environment.
Overall, the development of Astra signifies an exciting step forward in AI technology, blending powerful capabilities with practical usability. As Google invests in such advancements, the potential for future applications seems promising, suggesting a fascinating trajectory for artificial intelligence in everyday tasks.