Google Unveils Generative AI-Powered Cloud Security Tools at Cloud Next Conference
Google has just announced a suite of new and updated cloud-based security products and services at its annual Cloud Next conference. The tech giant is leveraging its flagship Gemini family of generative AI models to bolster cybersecurity for customers managing large, multi-tenant corporate networks. One of the key highlights is Gemini in Threat Intelligence, a new component of Google’s Mandiant cybersecurity platform, which is now in public preview. This powerful tool utilizes Gemini to analyze potentially malicious code and enables users to perform natural language searches for ongoing threats and indicators of compromise. Google has also integrated Gemini into its Chronicle cybersecurity telemetry offering, assisting security analysts with their workflows and providing summaries of security event data. Additionally, the company’s Security Command Center now features a Gemini-driven natural language search for threats and summaries of misconfigurations and vulnerabilities. Other notable updates include privileged access manager, principal access boundary, Autokey, and Audit Manager, all aimed at enhancing security and compliance for Google Cloud customers.
Google Unveils Gemini Code Assist and Cloud Assist at Cloud Next Conference
At the conference, Gemini Code Assist was also launched, the latest AI-powered code completion and assistance tool. This enterprise-focused service is set to rival GitHub’s Copilot Enterprise, with a few Google-specific twists. Code Assist will be available through popular editors like VS Code and JetBrains. The tool boasts support for Gemini 1.5 Pro, featuring an industry-leading million-token context window, enabling more accurate code suggestions and the ability to reason over and change large chunks of code. Brad Calder, Google’s VP and GM for its cloud platform and technical infrastructure, emphasized the significance of this upgrade, stating that it allows customers to perform large-scale changes across their entire codebase, enabling previously impossible AI-assisted code transformations. Another standout feature of Code Assist is its ability to support codebases across various platforms, including on-premises, GitLab, GitHub, and Atlassian’s BitBucket.
Google Cloud Announces Upcoming Nvidia Blackwell Support and New AI-Optimized Instances
Among the most anticipated announcements is the upcoming support for Nvidia’s next-gen Blackwell platform, slated for early 2025. While developers may have to wait for the high-performance Nvidia HGX B200 and GB200 NBL72 servers, Google has introduced the A3 Mega instance to cater to those in need of more power to train large language models. Google also launched its Cloud TPU v5p processors, the most powerful of its homegrown AI accelerators, into general availability. To keep pace with these fast chips, Google announced new AI-optimized storage options, including Hyperdisk ML, which is now in preview and can improve model load times by up to 3.7 times. In addition to AI-focused instances, Google Cloud is launching a range of traditional instances powered by Intel’s fourth- and fifth-generation Xeon processors, such as the general-purpose C4 and N4 instances, the C3 bare-metal machines, the X4 memory-optimized bare metal instances, and the Z3, Google Cloud’s first storage-optimized virtual machine.
Google Workspace Introduces Voice Prompts, Tabs in Docs, and More AI Features
Another one from the Cloud Next Conference, Google has announced a slew of AI-driven features for its Workspace productivity applications. Google Workspace is set to revolutionize the way people work. One of the most exciting updates is the introduction of voice prompts for the AI-based “Help me write” feature in Gmail, allowing subscribers to kick off the writing process while on the go. Additionally, Gmail for Workspace will soon be able to instantly polish rough email drafts into more refined messages. Aparna Pappu, a Google representative, stated in a press conference that these features will initially be available to paying subscribers, with the possibility of expanding to all users in the future. In addition to the AI features, Google is also introducing notifications for Sheets, enabling customizable alerts when specific fields change, as well as a new set of templates to streamline the creation of new spreadsheets. Google Docs, the company’s browser-based MS Word competitor, is also receiving a significant update with the introduction of tabs, allowing users to organize information within a single document, eliminating the need for multiple linked documents or extensive searches through Drive. Full-bleed cover images are also coming to Docs, enhancing the visual appeal of documents. For large companies using Workspace, Google Chat can now accommodate up to 500,000 members, and thanks to a partnership with Mio, messaging interoperability with Slack and Teams is now possible.
