On May 10th, Google hosted its annual keynote address – snappily named I/O – from Mountain View, California. Stakeholders took to the stage to show off what they’ve been working on over the past year, and explain how the tech giant will react to what’s hot in the industry right now.
The announcement that’s got everyone talking? Google’s latest foray into the world of AI (artificial intelligence).
Spend even just a few minutes on tech forums, and you can’t not notice the buzz that AI is generating. It’s everywhere. Business leaders, thinkers, corporations, industries: everyone’s piling in, and they‘ve all got something to say.
Now, Google has made its move - and it’s a big one.
In short, Google used the spotlight to announce a raft of new products and services - with a heavy focus on AI.
Google has read the room, and it’s playing to the gallery.
Going forward, we’ll see generative AI rolled-out in various forms across the entire Google universe. That includes its search engine, Workspace, Maps, Gmail and more; so expect to see that hitting screens and devices pretty soon.
So what exactly has Google announced? See below for our 2-minute roundup.
The biggest headline-grabber was something called Search Generative Experience. This AI tool is being added to Search, aiming to give us "more information and context," and is available for initial testing via Google Labs.
There’s a whole new Google-built LLM (large language model), known as PaLM 2. Essentially, this is the engine that’ll power these new AI applications; capable of complex math, coding, software development, translation, and (perhaps most impressively) human-like, creative reasoning, “it’s better than our previous state-of-the-art language models,” said Zoubin Ghahramani (VP for Google DeepMind).
As for Gmail, Google is launching an AI text-generator for its email platform, called Help Me Write.
A new immersive view of Maps, that will allow users to see their route in an immersive, visual environment. This will include AI-generated takes on journey planning elements such as traffic and weather.
Bard - Google’s answer to ChatGPT - is being released to the wider public (previously, users were required to join a waiting list). It’s not ready for the full roll-out just yet, but it’s a major step towards users interacting with Google in a conversational, prompt-and-response’ style.
PaLM 2 is also coming to the Google Workspace - namely, in Docs, Sheets, allowing users to task AI with word processing, spreadsheet population, and image generation.
There’s also a couple of new handhelds in the Google stable. The Pixel 7a offers some of the more advanced Pixel features at a more affordable price point, while pre-order is officially open for the forthcoming Pixel Tablet.
The title for ‘Most Impressive New Hardware,’ though, belongs to the $1,700+ Pixel Fold. Google says it’s the slimmest folding phone available today; moreover, it’s “durable,” boasts an innovative Tabletop Mode, and allows use of multiple apps simultaneously.
So, for you and your healthcare brand, what does this all mean exactly?
Well, in the right-here-right-now, not a massive amount. Don’t expect the world of digital search to suddenly shift overnight. Google may be big, but it’s not that big. Some mountains take time to move.
But move they will. The search landscape is - without doubt - shifting.
The internet has already taken its first tentative steps into the world of artificial intelligence, and May 10th, 2023 will go down as the day Google joined the robot revolution for real.
Pretty soon, it’ll be perfectly normal and commonplace to be having real-time ‘conversations’ with AI language models in a search environment; as commonplace as targeted ads, say, or voice search, or recommended products.
As a clinic or healthcare brand - operating in a niche that is notoriously competitive - you need to be ready. That’s where we come in.
Here at Rocket Healthcare Marketing, our team of search experts have a unique specialism in healthcare marketing. We’ve:
Helped one clinic increase organic traffic by over 160%
Brought a new medical brand to life with CRO marketing
Assisted one clinic in reaching 95% booking capacity with a lead generation engine
After all, healthcare marketing is what we do.
If you’re looking to expand your clinic and create new opportunities for growth, contact us today.
Google’s latest AI-cetric announcements, not least the Search Generative Experience, have left the tech and marketing industries buzzing about what shape online search will take in the future. One thing is for sure: while PaLM 2 won’t turn the (digital) world upside-down today, or tomorrow, it’ll be the engine that drives a profound transformation.
The way search works is changing. Healthcare brands need to prepare for this new search environment, where AI is a mainstay. The best way to do that? To partner with the experts.
To stay ahead of the curve and generate new business for your clinic - both now, and in the future - turn to Rocket Healthcare Marketing for a free growth plan to boost your discoverability and traffic.