Google Pixel 8 Pro AICore app teardown reveals some functions

AICore app, the latest member of the app suite for Google Pixel phones, recently received an update on the Pixel 8 Pro. Although its name clearly indicates that the app is related to the device’s AI-powered features, several people were curious about its specific functions.

To shed some light on this, the GApps Flags & Leaks team did an app teardown of the latest AICore version available on the Pixel 8 Pro, and the results offer more details about some of the features it enables.

Just as ARCore enables high-quality AR and AV capabilities on compatible Android devices, something similar happens with AICore and the Pixel 8 series AI-powered features.

For now, the AICore app is exclusive to the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, and its dedicated Play Store section only loads if you search for it on some of those devices. If you try to access it from the direct link using another device (or even a PC) you will only get a ‘URL error’ message.

It’s noteworthy that the first hints of the new app were spotted in June by Android expert Mishaal Rahman. However, it seems that at that time Google had not yet decided on the final name of the app since it was called ‘Google AI Services’. The change to ‘AICore’ seems appropriate, relating it to the existing ARCore app.

But, what exactly does the app enable? Keep reading to find out.

The GApps Flags & Leaks team teardown offers some details about the specific features that manage the app on the latest Google flagship phone. They found some interesting lines of code that seem to describe the role the app plays:

• ...aicore.aidl.IImageGenerationResultCallback: This line refers to image-generation services powered by AI. Here we could mention the capabilities of ‘completing’ incomplete objects using the Magic Editor, or the AI-generated wallpapers function.
• ...aicore.aidl.IProofreadingResultCallback: This line indicates that AICore app manages the ‘proofreading text’ capabilities of the device. This could apply to corrections as you write, or to correctly translating text to speech.
• …aicore.aidl.ISmartReplyResultCallback: This line suggests that AICore app enables the smart reply feature, which analyzes the context of a conversation and suggests responses that could be useful depending on the situation.
• …aicore.aidl.ISuggestedTextResultCallback: This line is still a mystery since it is not clear what feature it refers to.
• ...aicore.aidl.ISummarizationResultCallback: Did you know that your Pixel 8 Pro can convert your voice recordings (from Google Recorder) to a text summary? Well, this feature apparently also relies on the AICore app.
• ...aicore.aidl.IMagicRewriteService: This line seems to refer to another feature related to images, although it is not yet clear.

According to the source (via Telegram), these features are for now exclusive to the Pixel 8 series (as they use the Tensor G3’s AI-processing power), and the latest AICore app update is currently only available for the Pixel 8 Pro. So, it’s not even clear yet that the cheapest of the company’s latest flagships will receive them.

To top it off, the GApps Flags & Leaks team also found references to the Google Messages service, so some features in development could depend on the AICore app.