The Files app in Android is getting an AI feature that creates summaries of the documents stored in the app, according to research by several Google observers into the source code of an upcoming beta version.
Investigations by Android Authority and 9to5Google into the APK of the new beta version of the Files app show that the tech giant is now giving it an AI functionality to summarize saved documents, at least for the Android version. Although the feature is not yet official, Google seems to be actively developing it behind the scenes.
Improve AI for search?
The new feature appears to be an evolution of the previously introduced AI-powered search summaries feature. That feature suffered from a lot of incorrect answers and delusions, largely due to the quality of the information it pulled from the internet.
Apparently, Google believes that aggregating more or less reliable files from users themselves can be more successful.
Supported by Gemini Nano LLM
In the background, Google’s LLM, in this case probably something like Gemini Nano, scans the text files. The model then provides descriptions for each file. This allows end users to skim the summary of a document rather than opening it first when looking for a specific document.
According to both Google observers, the use of Gemini Nano as a supporting LLM suggests that the data processing takes place “on the device” and not in a cloud environment. The feature can also be turned on and off at will.
Unclear which devices are compatible
On-device processing for summaries in the Files app may currently be limited to Google’s own Pixel phones, which are becoming increasingly AI-enabled. Think of the features on the recently launched Google Pixel 9.
It is still unclear whether the feature will actually become a reality and, for example, be available for non-Google Android smartphones.
Read also: First impressions: Google Pixel 9 series impresses, but Gemini sows doubts
