Google is considering a new project called “Project Ellmann” that aims to use artificial intelligence (AI) technology to create a “bird’s-eye” view of users’ lives using mobile phone data such as photographs and searches.
The project is inspired by biographer and literary critic Richard David Ellmann and aims to be “Your Life Story Teller”.
Key aspects of Project Ellmann include:
Ingesting Search Results: The idea is to use large language models (LLMs) like Google’s Gemini to process and understand information beyond text, including images, video, and audio.
Spotting Patterns in Photos: The project aims to analyze users’ photos and identify meaningful moments in their lives, such as the “college” chapter or the “becomes a parent” chapter.
Creating a Chatbot: Project Ellmann would create a chatbot that can answer “previously impossible questions” about a person’s life, such as “did I have a pet” or “when did my sibling last visit”.
Hyperpersonalization: Google acknowledges the potential for hyperpersonalization in this project, but it is unclear how they plan to address it.
It is not yet clear if Google plans to roll out features like Ellmann within Google Photos or any other product. Google Photos currently uses AI to help people search their photos and videos. The project is still in its early stages, and Google has not provided a timeline for its development or release.
