Educators are facing a daunting challenge: artificial intelligence is completing students’ assignments. During Tuesday’s Google I/O 2024 developer conference, Google introduced advancements to its AI-powered Circle to Search feature. This tool, which enables Android users to obtain immediate answers by using gestures such as circling, has now been enhanced to tackle more intricate issues, including physics and math word problems.
These improvements are attributed to Google’s latest family of AI learning models, known as LearnLM.
Enhanced capabilities have been introduced to the new search feature, initially unveiled at Samsung’s Unpacked event in January. The feature, named Circle to Search, aims to facilitate a more intuitive interaction with Google Search across any location on the device by employing actions such as circling, highlighting, scribbling, or tapping. Moreover, it serves to prioritize user engagement with Google Search over other information retrieval tools in the era of AI.
The latest update to Circle to Search now offers enhanced support for children’s homework directly on compatible Android smartphones and tablets. When students encounter challenging problems, they can utilize Circle to Search to access step-by-step instructions for solving them. According to Google, the feature can manage tasks involving symbolic formulas, diagrams, graphs, and additional complex issues.
Since its initial rollout earlier this year, Circle to Search has been extended to a broader range of Samsung and Google Pixel devices, now available on over 100 million devices. Google anticipates this number will double by the end of the year.
