Google Cloud Next is the annual event where Google showcases its latest innovations and updates for its cloud platform. This year, the event was held online from August 29 to September 2, 2023, and featured over 500 sessions, keynotes, demos, and workshops. If you missed the event, or want to catch up on the highlights, here are some of the main takeaways and features that were unveiled or launched by Google at Google Cloud Next 2023.
| Topic | Summary |
|---|---|
| GenAI | Google introduced the concept of GenAI, which stands for generative AI, a new paradigm of AI that can create new content and insights from data. Google showcased some of its GenAI products, such as GPT-4, ChatGPT, and BigQuery ML. |
| Cloud Infrastructure | Google announced several improvements and expansions to its cloud infrastructure, such as new regions, zones, and edge locations, as well as new capabilities for networking, security, and reliability. Google also launched Vertex AI, a unified platform for building and managing machine learning models. |
| Cloud Applications | Google launched several new and updated cloud applications, such as Google Workspace, Google Cloud Contact Center AI, Google Cloud Retail Search, and Google Cloud Healthcare API. Google also announced new integrations and partnerships with other platforms, such as SAP, Salesforce, and Shopify. |
| Cloud Innovation | Google showcased some of the innovative and impactful use cases of its cloud technologies, such as helping NASA explore Mars, supporting COVID-19 response and recovery, and empowering social good and sustainability initiatives. Google also announced new programs and initiatives to support diversity, equity, and inclusion in the cloud industry. |
GenAI: The Next Frontier of AI
One of the main themes of Google Cloud Next 2023 was GenAI, which stands for generative AI, a new paradigm of AI that can create new content and insights from data. GenAI is powered by deep learning models that can learn from large amounts of data and generate novel outputs, such as text, images, audio, video, and more. GenAI can also help discover new patterns, correlations, and causations from data, and enable new forms of creativity, innovation, and problem-solving.
Google showcased some of its GenAI products and services, such as:
- GPT-4: The latest version of Google’s language model that can generate realistic and coherent text on any topic, based on a few words or sentences of input. GPT-4 can be used for various applications, such as content creation, summarization, translation, question answering, and more. GPT-4 is now available as a beta service on Google Cloud.
- ChatGPT: A conversational AI platform that can generate natural and engaging dialogues with users, based on their inputs and preferences. ChatGPT can be used for various domains, such as customer service, entertainment, education, and more. ChatGPT is now available as a beta service on Google Cloud.
- BigQuery ML: A machine learning service that can run on Google’s cloud data warehouse, BigQuery, and enable users to build and deploy machine learning models using SQL queries. BigQuery ML can handle various types of data, such as structured, unstructured, and streaming data, and support various machine learning tasks, such as regression, classification, clustering, and more. BigQuery ML is now generally available on Google Cloud.
Cloud Infrastructure: Faster, Safer, and More Reliable
Google announced several improvements and expansions to its cloud infrastructure, such as new regions, zones, and edge locations, as well as new capabilities for networking, security, and reliability. Some of the highlights include:
- New regions and zones: Google added four new regions (Delhi, Doha, Melbourne, and Toronto) and 15 new zones to its global cloud network, bringing the total number of regions to 28 and zones to 85. Google also announced plans to launch 12 more regions and 36 more zones in the next three years, covering every continent except Antarctica.
- New edge locations: Google added 25 new edge locations to its global cloud network, bringing the total number of edge locations to 144. Edge locations are points of presence that enable faster and lower-latency access to Google’s cloud services, such as Cloud CDN, Cloud Load Balancing, and Cloud Interconnect.
- New networking capabilities: Google launched several new features and services for its cloud networking, such as:
- Google Cloud Armor Adaptive Protection: A service that uses machine learning to automatically detect and mitigate distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks and web application attacks, such as SQL injection and cross-site scripting.
- Google Cloud CDN Signed URLs and Signed Cookies: Features that enable users to control access to their content on Google Cloud CDN, by using cryptographic signatures that expire after a specified time or condition.
- Google Cloud NAT Logging: A feature that enables users to monitor and audit the network address translation (NAT) activities on their Google Cloud virtual private cloud (VPC) networks, such as the source and destination IP addresses and ports, and the NAT gateway used.
- New security capabilities: Google launched several new features and services for its cloud security, such as:
- Google Cloud External Key Manager: A service that enables users to encrypt their data on Google Cloud using encryption keys that are stored and managed outside of Google’s infrastructure, such as on-premises or in another cloud provider.
- Google Cloud Certificate Authority Service: A service that enables users to create and manage their own private certificate authorities (CAs) on Google Cloud, and issue and revoke certificates for their cloud applications and devices.
- Google Cloud Confidential VMs: A service that enables users to run their virtual machines (VMs) on Google Cloud with encryption in use, meaning that the data is encrypted not only at rest and in transit, but also while in memory and while being processed by the CPU.
- New reliability capabilities: Google launched several new features and services for its cloud reliability, such as:
- Google Cloud Active Assist: A service that provides proactive and reactive assistance to users to optimize their cloud performance, availability, and cost, by using machine learning and automation. Google Cloud Active Assist can provide recommendations, alerts, and actions for various aspects of the cloud, such as resource utilization, configuration, scaling, backup, and recovery.
- Google Cloud Operations Suite: A suite of tools and services that enable users to monitor, troubleshoot, and improve their cloud operations, by using observability, logging, tracing, and debugging. Google Cloud Operations Suite includes products such as Cloud Monitoring, Cloud Logging, Cloud Trace, Cloud Debugger, and more.
- Google Cloud Service Level Objective (SLO) Monitoring: A feature that enables users to define and measure their service level objectives (SLOs), which are the goals and expectations for their cloud services, such as availability, latency, and error rate. Google Cloud SLO Monitoring can help users track and visualize their SLO performance, and alert them when their SLOs are at risk or violated.
Cloud Applications: Smarter, Easier, and More Integrated
Google launched several new and updated cloud applications, such as Google Workspace, Google Cloud Contact Center AI, Google Cloud Retail Search, and Google Cloud Healthcare API. Google also announced new integrations and partnerships with other platforms, such as SAP, Salesforce, and Shopify. Some of the highlights include:
- Google Workspace: Google rebranded its productivity and collaboration suite, formerly known as G Suite, to Google Workspace, and added several new features and enhancements, such as:
- Google Meet Picture-in-Picture: A feature that enables users to see and hear the people they are meeting with in a floating window, while they are working on other Google Workspace apps, such as Gmail, Docs, Sheets, and Slides.
- Google Chat Rooms: A feature that enables users to create and join dedicated spaces for team collaboration, where they can chat, share files, assign tasks, and more.
- Google Docs Smart Chips: A feature that enables users to mention people, files, and meetings in their Google Docs, and get relevant information and actions, such as sending an email, scheduling a meeting, or opening a file.
- Google Workspace Frontline: A new edition of Google Workspace that is designed for frontline workers, such as retail, healthcare, and manufacturing workers, who need to communicate and collaborate with their colleagues and customers, using their mobile devices. Google Workspace Frontline includes apps such as Gmail, Chat, Meet, Docs, and more, as well as features such as enhanced security, identity, and device management.
- Google Cloud Contact Center AI: Google updated its artificial intelligence platform for contact centers, which enables users to create and manage virtual agents, agent assistants, and conversational topic modelers, using natural language understanding, speech recognition, and text-to-speech. Some of the new features and enhancements include:
- Dialogflow CX: A new version of Google’s conversational AI framework, which enables users to design and build complex and scalable conversational flows, using a visual interface and advanced tools, such as state machines, conditional transitions, and version control.
- Agent Assist for Chat: A new feature that enables users to provide real-time assistance and suggestions to their human agents, who are handling chat conversations with customers, such as relevant knowledge articles, FAQs, and canned responses.
- Insights: A new feature that enables users to analyze and improve their contact center performance, by using natural language processing and machine learning to identify and categorize the topics, sentiments, and intents of their customer conversations, and generate actionable insights and recommendations.
- Google Cloud Retail Search: Google launched a new search service for online retailers as well. As per Google: "Infuse your digital properties with Google-quality recommendations and search results that increase engagement and deliver personalized experiences."
