Google’s AI Revolution: AiCore on Pixel 8 Pro and on-device AI

Google is investing heavily in artificial intelligence (AI), gradually rolling out generative text and image capabilities across its services and devices. This includes phones such as the Pixel 8 series with their Tensor G3 chip, which promises machine learning-based features for everyday use locally. We have some clues in the form of evidence hidden within the AiCore app on the Pixel 8 Pro that shows us exactly which capabilities can soon run on-device.

The AiCore app presents something of a puzzle. According to its Play Store listing, AiCore simply “Powers intelligent features across Android” and “provides apps with the latest AI models.” However, images within its listing reveal more information. AiCore will assist with “AI-driven features running directly on your device using foundation models from AiCore,” with each update automatically updating these AI models on devices over time.

As AiCore is currently only available on the Pixel 8 Pro, it’s clear that apps do not rely heavily on it to access AI models. Most apps and services already include access to them; for instance, Google Recorder has its voice transcription feature built-in, while Call Screen uses AI models as part of its service offering, and other AI services, like Bard or the AI-assisted photo editing tools, are only accessible online.

Assemble Debug, an Android expert, conducted a deep analysis of AiCore to understand its future applications on X (formerly Twitter). They determined that AiCore could provide data for various use cases, including:

• Personalized recommendations
• Targeted advertising
• Content moderation
• User research
• Fraud detection
• Customer service
• Product development

AiCore will play an instrumental role in providing new Android features, some of which may only be found on Pixel phones (such as Google Recorder or text summary options). Furthermore, these may only be available on the Pixel 8 series with its Tensor G3 chip which supposedly performs better at AI applications than other processors (though this could change with Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 which also offers superior AI processing power).

AssembleDebug also discovered some other pieces of information with unknown uses, such as an unknown file that could possibly relate to images, and an ISuggestedTextResultCallback that AssembleDebug does not understand at all.

AiCore may be responsible for many local generative AI features that have yet to arrive on Android phones, though only currently available on the Pixel 8 Pro. When and if it will become available across other Pixel phones or Android devices is still unknown; however, Google appears committed to AiCore development on a long-term basis following similar patterns seen with ARCore, preinstalled onto every phone as part of Google Play Services for AR.