Google has “continued to engage closely” with Reliance Jio in order to carry an inexpensive cellphone to the market, chief government Sundar Pichai mentioned earlier right this moment. The high government had made related commitments ultimately 12 months’s Google For India 2020 convention, the place the corporate had introduced that it’ll work intently with Jio to develop an inexpensive 5G smartphone tailor-made for the Indian market. However, whereas Pichai has reiterated his dedication made a couple of 12 months in the past, he has nonetheless not given any concrete info round what the mentioned inexpensive smartphone might characteristic, or any specific particulars about it – reminiscent of pricing or launch dates.
We are targeted on constructing an inexpensive cellphone… we’re dedicated to creating progress on the challenge and we’re working with them (Jio),” Pichai said in a virtual conference with select reporters from Asia Pacific. Availability of affordable devices, along with cheap data rates can help bring the internet within reach for more people across the country.
Google’s investment in Jio Platforms was part of ‘Google for India Digitisation Fund’ that was announced last year. In July last year, Pichai had unveiled plans to invest Rs 75,000 crore (USD 10 billion) in India over the next five to seven years to help accelerate the adoption of digital technologies in the country. “Google is also looking at new opportunities to deploy funds from its USD 10 billion India Digitisation Fund (IDF), and will make some announcements later this year,” Pichai mentioned on Thursday.
Talking in regards to the impression of COVID-19 on these tasks, Pichai mentioned the pandemic has highlighted the significance know-how performs in folks’s lives. “…We realise the significance know-how performs, and be it constructing merchandise like Google Meets or working to ensure all of this works properly on their (telecom operators’) networks, and bringing extra inexpensive entry to smartphones and computing, it’s simply deepened our efforts there,” he mentioned.
The India-born executive also talked about some of the announcements made earlier this month at its flagship I/O 2021 event. The company had announced a slew of new features including new privacy settings, AI tools and release of the first beta of Android 12 that will become part of its products over the course of the year. Talking about ethical use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in technology, Pichai said it is still early days and that the company is approaching the subject by being transparent, sharing and publishing research, and highlighting AI principles among other ways.
“Over time, we’ll have to figure out responsible AI regulations, which promotes innovation, but balances it with responsible oversight…We should never lose sight of the benefits AI is going to bring, just like technology has always brought tremendous benefits and work hard to address the downsides and mitigate it, I think that’s a construct all of us have to do globally,” he mentioned. Pichai added that Google intends to be a “accountable companion” and thought leader in this area. “We are all investing in privacy preserving, I think we all need to improve practices across the industry, and we are working to do that on the web and mobile. We need to meet user expectations,” he mentioned.
Pichai famous that there’s premium (paid) content material and free content material which is advert supported, and that each can be found to customers. “…We simply want to provide customers instruments and controls, decisions and newer methods by which we protect their privateness,” he added.
(With inputs from PTI)
Disclaimer:Network18 and TV18 – the companies that operate news18.com – are controlled by Independent Media Trust, of which Reliance Industries is the sole beneficiary.
Read all of the Latest News, Breaking News and Coronavirus News right here