Affiliate links on Android Authority may earn us a commission. Learn more.
The Pixel 8 Pro runs Google's generative AI models: Here's what that means
- Google says the Pixel 8 Pro is the first phone to run its generative AI foundation models on-device.
- The company says it will use these models to power an improved Magic Eraser, Zoom Enhance, and more.
Google has officially peeled the curtain back on the Pixel 8 series, and the company is upping the ante when it comes to AI features.
The firm also used the event to announce a notable achievement, as Google hardware chief Rick Osterloh said the Pixel 8 Pro was the first smartphone to run Google’s generative AI foundation models on-device.
These AI models are scaled-down versions of the company’s existing cloud-based models in order to run on-device. But Osterloh claimed that these models running on the Pixel 8 Pro are capable of delivering 150 times “more computations” than the largest model used on the Pixel 7 series.
What will these models be used for?
Google confirmed that these models will power a host of AI features on the Pixel 8 Pro. This includes on-device summaries for recordings made in the Recorder app and Smart Reply in Gboard.
The firm is also using these new on-device generative AI models on the Pixel 8 Pro to run the crazy Zoom Enhance camera feature and an improved Magic Eraser. When it comes to the latter, Google says Magic Eraser will do a better job of filling in spaces left behind after erasing, claiming the feature will now generate “new pixels” to fill the empty spaces.
The improved Magic Eraser will ship with the Pixel 8 Pro, but you’ll need to wait for future Feature Drops to get Zoom Enhance, recorder summaries, and Smart Reply in Gboard. Here’s hoping Google is able to run the Video Boost feature on-device in the future too.