The Files app in Android is poised to embrace a new era of functionality with the introduction of an AI feature designed to generate summaries of documents stored within the app. Insights gathered from the source code of an upcoming beta release, as examined by Android Authority and 9to5Google, suggest that Google is diligently working on this enhancement, although it has yet to be officially announced.
Improving AI for Search?
This innovative feature appears to build upon Google’s earlier attempts at utilizing AI for summarizing content in Search. Previous iterations faced challenges, often producing inaccurate responses and hallucinations, largely due to the variable quality of information sourced from the internet. By shifting focus to summarizing user-generated documents, Google aims to enhance reliability and accuracy.
Powered by Gemini Nano LLM
At the core of this new functionality lies Google’s language model, likely the Gemini Nano. This model meticulously scans text files, generating concise descriptions for each document. As a result, users can quickly review a summary without the need to open each file individually, streamlining the document retrieval process.
Notably, the implementation of Gemini Nano suggests that data processing occurs directly on the device, rather than relying on cloud computing. This feature will also offer users the flexibility to enable or disable it according to their preferences.
Unclear which devices are compatible
However, the current capability for on-device data processing may be restricted to Google’s own Pixel smartphones, which are increasingly integrating AI functionalities. This is particularly evident with the advancements seen in the recently launched Google Pixel 9.
As of now, it remains uncertain whether this feature will extend beyond Google’s devices to encompass non-Google Android smartphones, leaving many eager users awaiting further developments.
Also read: First impressions: Google Pixel 9 series impresses, but Gemini sows doubt