Google hosted its annual Chromebook event, which tends to coincide with one of the biggest tech events of the year: Computex. This year was no exception, as the tech giant revealed its plans for AI integration into its Chromebook Plus line of laptops just as Microsoft and other popular manufacturers announced a flood of their AI-powered laptops, most of them which will arrive during Computex 2024.
While this is certainly an interesting time, as we're about to see how far AI-powered components and tools will take us, it also looks like we'll be getting more of the same, unless you throw Chromebooks into the mix. Then you really have something worth talking about.
What about AI PCs?
While the prospect of new technologies is always exciting, they can have some drawbacks. The AI hardware itself, especially with the large data centers needed to power both generative AI and the cloud storage it often relies on, has already been burning out. massive amounts of water and other resources, and the environmental impact will continue to worsen as technology giants such as Nvidia, Intel, AppleAMD, Qualcomm and more create more powerful AI-based CPUs and especially GPUs.
Then there's Microsoft, whose push for AI tools in Windows 11 may result in one of the major ecological disasters, as millions of users are forced to abandon millions of Windows 10 laptops that are not compatible with the new operating system and its features. This is supported by a UN report stating that e-waste is being created faster than we can recycle, and even Microsoft itself recognizes that the push to PCs and AI tools is causing an increase in carbon emissions.
The last problem has to do with pricing and accessibility, in which almost all manufacturers and technology companies are complicit. AI PCs always cost more than $1,000; effectively pricing a considerable portion of buyers looking for an affordable laptop. As for accessibility features, they are either sparse and redundant (looking at Microsoft's AI-generated automatic subtitles) or non-existent.
What are Google and its Chromebooks doing right with AI?
The irony of my claim that Google is doing something right in terms of AI is that it is currently suffering a considerable self-inflicted wound to its search engine. AI Summaries. On the other hand, the Chromebook part of the tech giant has made strides in making AI more accessible to the masses.
I saw several demos of Google's new AI tools, including Help Me Read & Write, Help Me Game, Help Me Hands-Free, and Help Me Create. Seeing such a wide range of software and features covering so many facets of the average user's experience did wonders to support Google's oft-repeated mantra that AI should be useful, integrated throughout the user interface, and cloud-based. and on the device.
Help Me Hands-Free and tools like live transcription and translation are particularly impressive as they greatly increase the options accessible to users. Although Help Me Hands-Free is currently in beta testing, you can operate its entire user interface using hand gestures and voice commands. Transcription and live translation are also amazing tools that make videos more accessible.
Then there's the price, where Chromebooks outperform all other laptops. The most expensive options are still under $1,000, with specs and displays perfect for productive work and even some gaming. Chrome OS isn't perfect, but the apps available are constantly growing and, along with its growing array of AI tools, are helping to make it more popular.
While there is still room to grow in this regard, it is encouraging that Google is attempting to mitigate the immense resource cost of AI by enabling both local and cloud storage.
AI needs access to cloud storage to keep its data set up to date (although that has its own moral implications for what constitutes intellectual property theft). But if access to the cloud (and therefore access to data centers and the resources they consume) can be reduced, some of the negative environmental impact of AI can be mitigated. I'm not sure I see the same level of commitment to green AI from other tech giants.
Google's Chrome hardware is also relatively free of concerns about massive, unbearable OS updates that could lead to more waste.
What I would like to see in the future.
My main concern regarding AI remains its ecological impact. And so I want Google to take a much more proactive and aggressive approach to how it mitigates the large amount of resources it uses. If there's any corporation that can figure out how to make AI completely local to reduce that burden, it's Google that has the capital and people to make it happen. Like other tech corporations, it has a responsibility to do so.
Another improvement is making Chromebooks even more affordable. There are many models that maintain their low cost, however, the more expensive models continue to rise in price. One of the biggest advantages of the Chromebook is its retail price compared to other laptops, but it seems like every year that difference is narrowing. Considering that Chrome OS is still quite limited, approaching the cost of a Windows laptop is unacceptable.
That said, Google has made the most progress in making its AI technology more equitable as it has been thoroughly integrating numerous tools and features into its own user interface. Tools that serve the user rather than checking an arbitrary box on a list that is only meant to impress but not really help. Other tech giants should do the same if they don't want their more premium options to be left behind as the Chromebook continues to loom over them.
