Artificial intelligence is something that humans have been searching for since the 16th century, when the first automatons began to be created. What we didn’t know is that, at the end of the journey, this AI could be our replacement… for better or for worse.
And now, in the midst of 2023, Google is working on an AI assistant that could answer ‘impossible’ questions about you.
Google is developing an artificial intelligence assistant that will analyze personal photos, files, and search results with the aim of telling “the story of your life.” A story that you yourself might not even know how to tell.
Welcome to the Ellman Project
The American media outlet CNBC has seen documents revealing that the tech giant recently held an “internal summit” where company executives and employees presented Project Ellman.
According to the article, the AI will offer a “bird’s-eye view” of a person’s life, extracting files from their Google account and using written biographies and adjacent content to understand the context.
This process involves sifting through information files to highlight significant moments. Google employees claim that Project Ellman can deduce a user’s date of birth, who their parents are, and if they have siblings.
And it doesn’t stop there because apparently, it can highlight chapters of your life, like the years spent in college or living in a specific city. Ellman can even learn about your eating habits.
For instance, if you upload a lot of photos of pizza and pasta, the AI might deduce that you’re a big fan of Italian food. The technology isn’t limited to just one person either, as it can identify friends and family, as well as social events you’ve attended.
Your most useful chatbot, your other super-intelligent self
CNBC states that the presentation continued with the demonstration of Ellman Chat, described as ChatGPT but with the ability to “answer previously impossible questions.”
Judging by the examples given, the questions aren’t necessarily impossible; just challenging, especially if you’re forgetful. For instance, you can ask the chatbot when was the last time your brother visited or for suggestions on a place to move based on the photos you upload.
So, we come to what might be one of the secret purposes of Project Ellman. Analyzing the screenshots users upload, the technology can make all sorts of predictions, from products you might buy to interests you might have, even including future travel plans. Project Ellman might know you better than you know yourself.
Gemini, Google’s new large language model (LLM), appears to be the model that will power Project Ellman because it’s multimodal, meaning it can accept multiple forms of input besides text.
Of course, there are no guarantees that Ellman will come to fruition. A Google spokesperson told CNBC that this is an “early internal exploration.” If there are plans for a launch, developers will take their time to ensure it’s helpful for people while keeping user privacy at the forefront.
