What you need to know
- At Bett 2024, Google announced new AI enhancements to Workspace for Education and Classroom.
- Google also confirmed that 15 new Chromebooks will launch over the course of 2024, focused on the education segment.
- Some of the features announced include Duet AI in Workspace for Education, along with tools for students.
There's a good chance that you haven't started thinking about the next school year, but Google is always looking forward. During the Bett 2024 conference, Google announced a slew of updates and features for students and teachers alike.
Arguably the biggest announcement was the introduction of Duet AI in Workspace for Education and Google Classroom. This was originally announced at I/O 2023, before being rolled out to consumers in August. And now, Duet AI is available for teachers, allowing you to use generative AI to "get fresh ideas and save time." There's also a new landing page with various resources if you want to learn more about using AI in the classroom.
After rolling out the ability to "add questions to YouTube videos" previously, this functionality will soon get an AI boost. Instead of teachers needing to come up with what questions to ask regarding a video, Google will soon make it possible to "test out AI-suggested questions."
Not all of the new features announced are limited to teachers, as there will soon be deeper integration between Google Classroom and ChromeOS. Once the update arrives, students can view upcoming events and assignments just by clicking the Date on the Shelf.
From there, students will be able to see what assignments are due soon, and even which ones have already been completed. Thanks to the "See All" button, students will be taken to a new browser tab where they can see more information, including grades for completed assignments.
Rather surprisingly, Google gave us a bit of a teaser, as the company states it's "launching 15 new Chromebooks in 2024, including six for Advanced Use and nine for Learning Anywhere." Unfortunately, no other details were shared, so we'll just have to wait and see what's in store from the likes of Acer, ASUS, and other Chromebook makers. It seems that at least a couple of these upcoming devices will fall under the Chromebook Plus branding, as "educators need high-power devices."
Considering that Chromebook announcements have been fairly sparse, as of late, it seems that won't be the case for too much longer. We're already expecting to see the ASUS Expertbook CX54 Chromebook Plus, which is the first Chromebook to be powered by Intel's new Core Ultra 7 chip. Hopefully, we won't have to wait too long to see more competition arrive and hit the market.
