Android's Files app will have an AI feature that will create summaries of documents stored within the app, according to several Google watchers' investigation of the source code for the upcoming beta.
A look at the new beta APK of the Files app by Android Authority and 9to5Google revealed that, at least in the Android version, the tech giant is including an AI feature that summarizes stored documents. While the feature isn't official yet, it seems like Google is actively developing it behind the scenes.
Improve AI for search?
The new feature appears to be a further development of the previously announced AI-powered search summarization feature, which was rife with false answers and illusions, mainly due to the quality of the information retrieved from the internet.
Apparently, Google believes it has a better chance of success summarizing reliable files provided by the users themselves.
Equipped with Gemini Nano LLM
Under the hood, Google's LLM (like Gemini Nano in this case) scans text files. The model then provides a description of each file. This way, when looking for a particular document, end users can scan the document's summary instead of opening it first.
According to two Google watchers, the use of Gemini Nano as the supporting LLM indicates that data processing will be done “on device” rather than in a cloud environment, a feature that can also be toggled on and off at will.
Not sure which devices it is compatible with
On-device processing of Files app summary data may currently be limited to Google's own increasingly AI-enabled Pixel phones. Consider what the recently announced Google Pixel 9 offers.
It remains to be seen whether this feature will actually come to fruition and be available on non-Google Android phones, for example.
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