The First Live Demo From Made by Google Was an Epic Fail [CNET]

“I’m working late, cuz my demo failed” is the new anthem of Made by Google 2024.

“I’m working late, cuz my demo failed” is going to be Google’s version of the song of the summer, “Espresso” by Sabrina Carpenter.

Today’s Made by Google event unveiled a slew of new hardware and software including the long-awaited new Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel Watch 3 and Pixel Buds Pro 2. Android 15, the long-awaited next-generation software update, was also released and features a bulk of AI-powered features. AI has been a focal point of today’s keynote address, even for a hardware-focused event.

In the first half hour of today’s Made by Google event, Google tried to show off new and improved capabilities of its Gemini mobile AI. The first live demo tried to get Gemini to scan and analyze a picture of Sabrina Carpenter’s upcoming tour dates to see if she was coming to San Francisco. The presenter prefaced the trial by saying all of today’s demos would be live and hoped the demo gods were with them today. They weren’t. The live audience and thousands of virtual attendees watched in rapt as the demo failed.

After a second failed attempt and switching to a new device, Gemini finally worked. While live demos always risk tech glitches or errors, the rest of the event’s live demos ran fairly smoothly. Still, the anticipation and cringe of that first demo is certainly a memorable moment from the event, especially since it began by proclaiming it’s in its “Gemini era.”