Google has sent out invitations to Google I/O 2024, its annual developer conference in Mountain View, California Mark your calendars: I/O 2024 kicks off on May 14

The two-day event is specifically for Google developers to network and learn, but there is always at least one important keynote that reveals Google's new hardware and software live viewing of Google I/O 2024 may be especially exciting because it may be the official unveiling of Android 15The developer preview of Android 15 launched last month, so Google is preparing a sizzle reel to introduce the next version of Android on the I/O keynote stage Looks like

That showcase seems a bit anemic without new hardware to go with the new Android, so we expect some fresh Google devices to be announced during I/O 2024 We have already seen renderings of the Pixel 8a design and retail packaging, so we put strong odds on the debut of the Pixel 8a, the successor to the affordable Pixel 7a

This is also a convenient event for Google to talk about its AI offerings, as the Pixel 8a will almost certainly feature the same Tensor G3 chip as the Google Pixel 8 Everything from the software keyboard to the web browser to call screening has additional AI capabilities driven by the G3 chip, so expect Google to talk about at least some new AI innovations at I/O 2024

Those of us who prefer more eccentric technology consider the odds of Google unveiling a new foldable at this year's show The original Pixel Fold was announced at Google I/O 2023, and if you read our Google Pixel Fold review, you will see that while it is currently one of the best foldable phones, there are some things that could definitely be improved in the Pixel Fold 2 (thick bezel, etc) will be found in the Pixel Fold 2 We have heard that the Pixel Fold 2 could have one of the largest displays ever on a foldable, at over 8 inches

But if I were betting on more than a teaser for Google's new wearable or tablet, I would give it long odds We didn't see the Google Pixel Watch 2 until last fall, so we can't expect another one until at least October 2024 Also, the Google Pixel Tablet debuted at Google I/O in 2023, but it is not uncommon for some tablets to take two to three years before a hardware refresh

Google will also likely use Google I/O 2024 to update the world on the evolution of AI, including Google Gemini Gemini has come under fire for several issues related to AI-generated images, including images of racially diverse Nazi soldiers As a result, Google was forced to suspend AI-generated human images while it recalibrates the AI

However, it was not all bad news for Gemini In fact, Google's chatbot recently beat ChatGPT in our Gemini vs ChatGPT showdown We were also quite impressed with Gemini's performance when we tested its various AI prompts

However, Google needs to prove that it is making serious progress with Gemini and AI in general, especially considering the progress OpenAI is making with video and its new Sora tool Sora has wowed observers with amazingly realistic clips, and will be available to the public later this year It is expected to be released to the public later this year

Google will also have to show that it is cautious in developing AI as it tries to prevent the spread of misinformation, especially in an important election year