During yesterday’s Pixel 9 event, Google had its own share of live demo mishaps when Gemini AI, its creation, did not work as expected during the product’s launch. The lesson is that even after so much preparation and hours of research and development, big tech companies such as Google may still have to face some embarrassment while launching new technology. An audience at a live show (and those watching online) saw this happen in real-time when Google’s first live demo at its Made by Google keynote went wrong in an epic way.
The above demo happened to feature the latest iteration of Google’s AI, Gemini, now integrated into an all-new mobile platform. Without a doubt, one of the high spots in that two-hour keynote was the mention of new hardware, such as Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro Fold, Pixel Watch 3 and Pixel Buds Pro 2 alongside introducing this Gemini AI. However, moments later the excitement turned into awkwardness when the demo stumbled.
Dave Citron, the presenter, set the stage by emphasizing that all demos would be live, jokingly hoping that the “demo gods” would be on their side. The goal was to have Gemini scan and analyze a picture of Sabrina Carpenter’s upcoming tour dates to check if she was scheduled to perform in San Francisco. But instead of a seamless demonstration, the AI faltered, leaving the audience in suspense. After a second failed attempt and a switch to a different device, Gemini finally delivered the desired results.
This early hitch served as a sharp reminder that even in the “Gemini era,” technology isn’t always perfect, even though the remainder of the event went off without any serious problems. Even if they are embarrassing, incidents like these also make the software development process more relatable by serving as a reminder that invention frequently involves trial and error.