Google I/O AI Integrations Tempt Policy Expert to Buy First Android in 16 Years

The interesting thing about I/O was its focus on real-world utility. Usually being “practical” in AI is a codeword for being unambitious, but in this case Google showed off many capabilities that felt novel (if they really ship).

The other intriguing part was the almost total absence of an “evals bar graph” slide, so ubiquitous in AI presentations. I counted one, on screen for a few seconds. That was it.

One explanation is that Google only unveiled Gemini 3.5 Flash and importantly did *not* provide details on 3.5 Pro. But in the context of the overall keynote, the lack of eval showoff felt in keeping with the overall focus on real-world capabilities usable to actual consumers.

Finally a note on Demis: one gets the sense from him that he feels the AGI, in his bones, in a way few others do. Only Ilya also conveys this sense, almost pentateuchal in nature. When he says, “we are standing in the foothills of the singularity,” you sense a stone-cold conviction that is both bracing and invigorating. Many OGs in the field of AI policy tell their origin story as something like, “I heard Demis talk in 2015 and from there I knew I wanted to devote myself to this.” I understand why.

@deanwball Come to the G side