Google for India 2024: AI Innovations, Financial Tools, and Enhanced Security Measures Unveiled

Google for India 2024: New AI, Payment and Health Features Unveiled

Google Maps has also been updated with new real-time weather features Google announced several new features for its apps and services at its Google for India 2024 event on Thursday. The firm announced improvements to Google Pay with support for personal and gold loans, and showcased new health related features developed in partnership with the health sector. New features to detect and protect users from scams were also unveiled by the company. Google also announced that it was rolling out support for Gemini Live and its AI search overviews in regional languages. At its annual Google for India event in Delhi, the company announced improvements to the search experience, including the ability to let customers reach businesses directly via WhatsApp. Previously, listings could include a phone number that could be tapped in order to place a call. Google Maps has also been updated with support for real-time alerts for flooding and fog, according to the search giant. The company is bringing support for personal loans and gold loans on Google Pay, it's Unified Payments Interface (UPI) app. It also announced new partnerships with Aditya Birla Capital Finance for personal loans and Muthoot Finance for gold loans. With Google's revised limits, customers can now access personal loans worth up to Rs. 5 lakh and gold loans worth Rs. 50 lakh. Google's AI tools have enabled free cancer and tuberculosis screenings in India Photo Credit: Google As part of its DigiKavach initiative, Google says that it saved users from scams worth Rs. 13,000 crore and displayed over 41 million warnings to users in 2023. Over 170 million fraudulent reviews were automatically detected and removed on Google Maps, according to the company. Google says Android users in India will soon be protected with a new enhanced fraud protection feature that prevent users from sideloading malicious apps that request access to critical permissions. Google also showcased new health features integrated by the company's partners, such as Apollo Hospitals, which is using deep-learning models from the company to improve diagnostic services. The company's AI tools are also enabling support for tuberculosis and cancer screening in several regions -- at no cost to patients. Google also says it is rolling out support for Gemini Live in eight languages including Hindi, allowing users to talk to the AI assistant with real-time responses. AI overviews, another feature that was previously available in Hindi and English, will soon be available in four more regional languages -- Bengali, Marathi, Tamil, and Telugu.

Google for India 2024: New AI initiatives, Financial tools, and Cybercrime protection announced

At the 10th edition of the Google for India event today, Google reaffirmed its mission to make information universally accessible, with a focus on India's diversity. This commitment is central to its "AI for Every Indian" initiative, which aims to empower citizens through advanced AI technologies. Here's how Google is working to break down information barriers and enhance various services: Google reported that AI has significantly lowered information barriers in India. Tools like Google Lens, voice search, and Lens in Maps are being utilized more than in any other region. The latest AI model, Gemini, processes text, audio, image, and video data simultaneously, providing quick insights across languages. Starting today, several Gemini-powered features are being launched in India: This AI assistant can assist with various tasks, from academic support to creative brainstorming, adapting to users' needs with real-time, conversational responses. Google Maps is becoming more insightful and safer through AI advancements, including: Google is launching new AI tools to help Indian businesses thrive: Google Pay is enhancing credit accessibility with AI-powered tools that address questions about EMIs, eligibility, and repayment cycles. Google is supporting India's Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) by streamlining app integrations with the ABDM digital infrastructure. In 2024, users will be able to store their ABHA health ID cards in Google Wallet, ensuring secure access to health records for over 600 million users while maintaining privacy and security. Google has acknowledged the severe impact of fraud and scams, which have caused over $1 trillion in global losses. Data from the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) shows that between January and April 2024, Indians lost over Rs. 1,750 crore (approximately $212 million) to cybercriminals. Enhanced Fraud Protection: Google is expanding Google Play Protect's capabilities to improve fraud protection for users installing apps from unofficial sources. Following successful pilots in Singapore, Thailand, and Brazil, this initiative is now being launched in India. Key features of this enhanced fraud protection include: Building a secure mobile experience requires collaboration among governments, industry partners, and stakeholders. Google is committed to enhancing user safety.

Google India Launches Enhanced Fraud Protection, AI-Powered Summaries On Maps, Other Features

The announcements come at a time when Google is facing scrutiny from India's antitrust watchdog for violating competition laws From 'enhanced fraud protection' feature and gold-backed loans to AI-powered summaries on Maps, tech giant Google unveiled a number of new features at its annual 'Google For India' event on Thursday (October 3). Google will soon pilot an enhanced fraud protection feature with 'Google Play Protect' in India in an effort to curb the alarming rise of financial scams and frauds sparked by the digital payments boom in the country. The new feature will automatically block installation of malicious third-party apps from outside the Play Store, preventing scammers from collecting sensitive user information such as their bank credentials and personally-identifiable information. Google Play Protect, Android's built-in app security system, has already prevented scams worth over INR 13,000 Cr and red-flagged about 41 Mn fraudulent transactions in India, the tech giant claimed. Google is also bringing new AI-powered features to Google Maps to improve navigation and enhance customer experience amid increasing competition from the likes of MapmyIndia and Bhavish Aggarwal-led Ola Maps. The Google Maps app will now analyse reviews and show AI-generated summaries of places. Additionally, Maps will display photos uploaded by businesses and users when customers search for items and experiences on the app. The Alphabet-owned internet search giant said it also plans to set up a new Google Safety Engineering Centre in India as soon as next year to combat financial fraud and ensure online safety. Underpinned by artificial intelligence, the centre will safeguard users from online threats, add a new layer of security to businesses and government agencies, and strengthen research and development of cutting-edge technologies. Starting today, Google's GenAI chatbot Gemini is available in Hindi with support for eight other Indian languages coming soon. The Gemini mobile app allows users to type or talk in supported languages and even add an image to get AI assistance. Additionally, Google is adding support for more local languages to AI Overviews, which provides users with an AI-generated snapshot with key information and links to other relevant sources with additional data related to a query. Currently available in English and Hindi, users will be able to get AI Overviews in Telugu, Tamil, Bengali and Marathi in the coming months. The announcements are part of Google's efforts to dominate the digital space in India, which has emerged as the world's largest consumer internet market for tech giants. As per Inc42 data, top internet firms like Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Google, Snapchat and YouTube have their largest user base in India. To reap benefits of India's digital economy boom, Google recently expanded its payment offerings in the country with the launch of new features such as UPI Circle, eRupi and ClickPay QR. Google sees India as a big market for its Pixel smartphone. Recently, a senior Google executive said that India has huge growth potential in the premium smartphone market. The tech giant has already begun local manufacturing of its flagship Pixel 8 phones, which are likely to hit the shelves later this year. However, the going has not been easy for the tech giant in the country as it has been under regulatory scrutiny for violating laws. In 2022, the Competition Commission Of India (CCI) slapped penalties totalling over INR 2,200 Cr on Google in two separate cases. Besides, Google is also said to be looking to settle an antitrust case related to smart TV segment after it was found guilty of breaching India's competition laws. In August, an industry body wrote to the antitrust regulator, accusing Google of abusing its dominant position in the Indian online advertising market.

GPay UPI circle, more languages in Gemini: key takeaways from 'Google for India'

The tenth edition of the 'Google for India' event marked 20 years of the company's operations in India. The primary focus of the event was the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) across various sectors in the country, and how Google plans to capitalise on it. Here are the main announcements: Gemini expansion: Google announced that the Gemini AI model will be expanded to support more local languages, with Hindi already integrated. Currently, over 40% of Indian users interact with Gemini in local languages using voice input. Google plans to extend support to eight additional Indian languages soon. Google AI Overview: Starting now, Google AI Overview, which was available in Hindi, will be now accessible in Bengali, Telugu and Marathi. Google Maps: The tech giant is enhancing real-time updates on Google Maps, introducing reports and alerts for flooding and fog conditions. These improvements aim to offer users more timely and relevant information for better navigation in challenging weather. Google Pay: Google Pay, which currently connects 35 million users in India, introduced a new feature called UPI circle. It will allow users to request payments on behalf of others. This feature will be particularly helpful for families where one member can handle payments for another. Google Pay has also expanded loan limits to Rs 5 lakh, with the option to apply for gold loans up to Rs 50 lakh. Data storage and cybersecurity: Google has announced the expansion of its Gemini 1.5 Flash data localisation initiative, ensuring companies in India can store their data locally in compliance with the country's data protection regulations. Moreover, with the rise in cyberattacks, Google plans to launch its Safety Engineering System by 2025, building upon its anti-fraud initiative, DigiKavach, which was introduced last year. AI-backed healthcare: The company has announced an AI-powered tuberculosis and cancer screening tool for Indian hospitals. The tool will be available for free for the next decade, contributing to the improvement of the Indian healthcare system. Merchant tools: To cater to its merchants in India, Google will now allow them to add their WhatsApp contact information directly to their Google business pages. This feature, which allows customers to text businesses directly on WhatsApp, is a step up from the existing option of only adding a phone number for calls. This feature is being rolled out in India first.