The Files app in Android is getting an AI feature that creates summaries of documents stored in the app. This is according to several Google watchers’ research on the source code of an upcoming beta release.
Research by Android Authority and 9to5Google of the APK of the new beta release of the Files app reveals that the tech giant is now giving it AI functionality for summarizing stored documents, at least for the Android version. While the feature is not yet official, it does appear that Google is actively developing it behind the scenes.
Improving AI for Search?
The new feature seems to be a further development of the previously presented functionality for summaries in Search using AI. This feature suffered from many incorrect answers and hallucinations, mainly due to the quality of information it picked up from the Internet.
Apparently, Google sees that summarizing more or less reliable files from users themselves can be more successful.
Powered by Gemini Nano LLM
Under the hood, Google’s LLM, in this case probably something like Gemini Nano, scans the text files. The model then provides descriptions for each file. In this way, end users can scan the summary of a document instead of opening it first when looking for a particular document.
According to both Google watchers, the use of Gemini Nano as a supporting LLM indicates that data processing takes place “on device” rather than in a cloud environment. The feature can also be turned on and off at will.
Unclear which devices are compatible
The on-device processing of data for summaries in the Files app may currently be limited to Google’s own Pixel smartphones, which are becoming increasingly AI-enabled. Consider the capabilities provided by the recently introduced Google Pixel 9.
It is still unknown whether the feature will indeed become real and, for example, also available for non-Google Android smartphones.
Also read: First impressions: Google Pixel 9 series impresses, but Gemini sows doubt