googleAt Google's annual developer conference ‘Google I/O’ 2017, the reactions to the announcement that Google Lens intends to revolutionize the way we search were particularly striking.

Google Lens has vision based computing capabilities that can identify things in the real world by using Google's AI and knowledge graph. It’s nothing more than the integration of the Google search into the smartphone camera. You photograph something with the smartphone and Google recognizes what it is. Subsequently, the most important information about the object is collected on the Internet. In other words, just a smartphone with a camera is needed to experience the future of search.

Still, when defining Google Lens quite simply, it does not really sound like a revolution, but more like a nice feature or gimmick. However, what’s behind all this elucidate the many examples of use by describing how life can be simplified for millions of people.

Google's CEO Sundar Pichai made that clear at the conference by giving some good examples, such as:

  • A smartphone can automatically join an Internet connection as soon as a photo has been taken of the network name and the corresponding password.
  • If you photograph the menu of a foreign restaurant, Google automatically translates the card and displays pictures of the dishes.
  • When you photograph a restaurant yourself, Google automatically searches for ratings, displays the opening times or the contact options.
  • If you take a photo of a concert poster, Google automatically shows if tickets are available and how to buy them.


It goes without saying that this is only the tip of the iceberg. Google Lens could really lift the search to a new level. What’s for sure is that Google’s move brings AI into the physical world and reflects the zeitgeist of the younger generation that prefers to communicate with pictures over text.

Until now, there is no official schedule when Google will be released. It is known, however, that there will be no own app for the feature. Rather, it will be integrated into existing Google Apps, such as Google Photos or the personalized AI software Assistant.

By MediaBUZZ