AI as a buzzword has been overused so much in the last 12 months that the term has lost all meaning. I used several phones this year that were touted to have AI-assisted cameras, but these so-called features were nothing more than the usual filters and scene recognition algorithms that were already available — just dressed up in a new avatar.
But when Google says that it's using AI extensively on its new phones, it's time to take notice. Unlike other Android manufacturers, Google has the wherewithal to integrate complex ML models on its devices, and it's going all-in with the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro. Both phones get a slate of AI-backed features that include everything from ensuring you get the best group photos, moving objects around in existing photos, altering the audio of existing videos to remove background distractions, and so much more.
