Pixel 9 will reportedly arrive with a new 'Google AI' collection of features
What you need to know
Unnamed sources claim that Google is preparing to introduce a collection of features under the "Google AI" umbrella in the Pixel 9.
The collection is rumored to include features like "Add Me" for cameras, "Studio," and "Pixel screenshot," which performs like Microsoft's Recall.
Google recently emailed users about its early hardware event on August 13.
Google's AI has continued to advance and change, and now, a report suggests that the company is wrapping it all under a new name for the Pixel 9.
Google is preparing to debut a collection of "new and existing" features under the "Google AI" brand, sources tell Android Authority. There are supposedly three new key features: Add Me, Studio, and Pixel screenshots. Sources claim that "Add Me" is a camera feature that helps capture a group of people in a single shot.
More concrete information is unknown, however, there's speculation that it could take "Best Take" a step forward.
An early snapshot of Google AI highlighted the "Studio" tagline, which reads: "you imagine it. Pixel creates it." The running theory is that this feature could be an AI generator that lets users create images from prompts and even videos.
The publication states Google AI's Studio could be a previously discovered "Creative Assistant" app. It was speculated that this would be implemented into the screenshot editor so users could create useable stickers from their photos.
Sources state that "Pixel screenshots" are designed to be a user's "new home" for all images captured on their device. Enabling the feature will allow Google's AI to process your screenshot and create a tailored summary for that photo. Users can then return to it to ask questions.
A brief overview states Google will save screenshot information such as "metadata-like" weblinks, app names, and the date the photo was taken in the app. This feature functions similarly to Microsoft's "Recall," which debuted for Windows 11 PCs running Copilot Plus. Users were strongly against it due to the feature constantly capturing what they were doing on their computers, creating a severe breach of privacy.
The publication was informed that Google has taken steps to ensure user security by making Pixel screenshots an opt-in feature. Moreover, Google's version only activates the AI brain during a user's manual input: the screenshot command.
We're still curious about a few things, such as "Pixel screenshots" functionality in action. But, we're not far from knowing as Google started teasing an early hardware event set for August 13. The event should hold insight into new Google products, Android software, and AI advancements. Other AI features on the Pixel 8 series are expected to continue on its successor, such as Circle to Search and Gemini's capabilities.
