In the last two days, I've seen at least major AI companies launch solutions that enable users to converse with AI to move across various systems, completing different tasks.
First, it was Anthropic with the launch of Cowork, a solution that allows the company’s flagship product, Claude, to easily read, edit, create, reorganize, and otherwise manipulate files within a computer, per users request and some hours ago, Google announced “Personal Intelligence,” a solution that allows Gemini to move through various Google ecosystem apps such as Gmail, YouTube, Photos and Search, to personalize services rendered to users.
The best assistants don't just know the world; they know you and help you navigate it. Today, we’re answering a top user request: you can now personalize Gemini by connecting Google apps with a single tap. Launching as a beta in the U.S., this marks our next step toward making Gemini more personal, proactive and powerful.
Personal Intelligence securely connects information from apps like Gmail and Google Photos to make Gemini uniquely helpful. If you turn it on, you control exactly which apps to link, and each one supercharges the experience. It connects Gmail, Photos, YouTube and Search in a single tap, and we’ve designed the setup to be simple and secure. – Google blog
Clearly these companies understand the value of interoperable solutions, because if you're introducing a technology that does everything, you best make damn sure that it can do it all from one UI, and at least, with very minimal action-steps required from the users.
Contrary to what most people might think, consumers are increasingly growing lazy and this is reflected on every consumer-facing product.
It's always about “ease” and that's just another way of saying that the user is lazy and needs to be accommodated.
Personal intelligence from Google will be a dream come true for many people, despite the data concerns, a win for Google and its advertisers.
I can imagine a lot of things that could happen.
First, people could possibly rarely use the Gmail app and simply handle everything from the Gemini app.
The same can be said about the YouTube app, especially when it's about finding specific information and not general use, for entertainment perhaps.
The Gemini app will become central to information access, central to getting work done, possibly central to entertainment, central to shopping and basically everything else.
Even things that are outside the Google ecosystem.
The AI companies already understand that pulling it all to one UI can yield tremendous results and they are actively building it out.
When I see these announcements, I reflect on the crypto ecosystem, which is somewhat behind on that front.
The ecosystem, in my opinion, is yet to figure out true interoperability that every interaction with third-party systems will feel naturally-belonging.
Maybe, just maybe, the convergence of Crypto and AI, is what it needs to achieve that consumer solution, because if AI systems can naturally function across ecosystems, crypto only needs to plug into AI and all else is a matter of granting key authorities.
Interesting days are ahead.