Google has recently decided to withdraw its AI Test Kitchen app from both the Play Store and the App Store, choosing to focus exclusively on the web platform for this initiative. The AI Test Kitchen was introduced last year as an experience allowing users to interact with projects driven by various AI models like LaMDA 2. These experiments aimed to demonstrate the capabilities of these models, such as breaking down goals into subsets and maintaining a conversation on a specific topic, like dogs.
In a confirmation to 9to5Google, Google stated that they are shifting their attention to the web platform as it enables easier updates compared to managing multiple app platforms. While Google initially announced “Season 2” of the AI Test Kitchen, no new experiments were rolled out, and the Test Kitchen currently features only one text-to-music language model experiment called MusicLM, which was announced earlier at Google IO.
It is not surprising that Google has withdrawn the apps, as they have a history of discontinuing apps and experiments without prior notice. Additionally, with the growing popularity of large language models (LLMs) and generative AI-focused tools offered by companies like OpenAI and Anthtropic, Google may be keen on focusing more on testing features for its consumer products.
In May, during Google IO, the company introduced Google Labs, a portal allowing users to sign up for generative AI-based experiments. Interestingly, the MusicLM experiment is listed on this page as well, creating some confusion with the AI Test Kitchen page, which now only hosts one experiment.
Despite the transition away from the mobile apps, Google remains committed to exploring and advancing generative AI technologies. Their Google Labs page offers a variety of AI-focused projects, including Search Labs, NotebookLM (an AI-powered note-taking project), AI enhancements for Workspace features, and, of course, the MusicLM experiment. As Google continues to evolve its AI offerings, users can expect further developments and new experiences in this exciting field.