LProject Jarvis, developed by Google, is a technology that could transform the user experience on the Internet. Powered by the Gemini 2.0 model, Jarvis is designed to support actions such as online purchasing, ticket booking and information collection, without requiring human intervention. This assistant promises to usher in a new era in web task automation. The heart of Jarvis is advanced artificial intelligence technology that simulates human actions online.
The AI regularly takes screenshots, analyzes visible elements on the page, and then performs actions like clicking buttons or filling out forms. At every step, Jarvis acts as a true digital assistant, capable of supporting long and repetitive processes, such as managing reservations or purchasing products. Unlike traditional digital assistants like Siri or Google Assistant, which only respond to basic voice commands, Jarvis is directly integrated with Google Chrome, which will hold approximately 65.27% of the global browser market in 2024. Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google, discussed the vision behind intelligent systems like Jarvis in May 2024.
“We imagine intelligent agents capable of planning, reasoning and memorizing, which can anticipate several steps to accomplish complex tasks on behalf of the user, always under their supervision.” The potential uses of Jarvis are vast. This assistant could make life easier for millions of users around the world, especially those who regularly transact online. Google presents Jarvis as a natural extension of tasks already automated by artificial intelligence technologies, tackling more complex and more recurring processes.
A parallel with JARVIS from Iron Man
The name “Jarvis” was not chosen by chance. It is reminiscent of the artificial intelligence used by Tony Stark in the Marvel universe. Stark’s digital assistant, JARVIS, is a sophisticated AI capable of managing entire systems in place of humans. While Google’s version doesn’t help pilot a superhero suit, it does reflect this futuristic vision where an AI could take over a lot of digital tasks.
Jarvis, in its current incarnation, aims to ease users’ cognitive loads by automating tedious tasks. This reference to Iron Man also establishes a link with popular culture, allowing Google to make its project more accessible to the uninitiated. However, while the idea of delegating actions to an AI is appealing, it also raises questions about reliance on this technology, particularly when it comes to control and security.
Challenges and limitations
Despite Jarvis’ promising potential, some challenges remain. First of all, AI is not yet fast enough for mass adoption. Currently, it takes several seconds for Jarvis to analyze and perform each action, a latency that could frustrate users accustomed to immediate responses. This slowness is due to the fact that Jarvis relies on cloud infrastructure rather than local execution. This means that each action must be sent to the server for processing and then sent back to the user’s device, thereby increasing the wait time.
Second, Jarvis is currently only compatible with Google Chrome, which limits its use for users of other browsers like Firefox or Safari. Even though Chrome dominates the browser market, there is a growing demand for solutions that work across platforms, especially in a business context where tool diversity is the norm. Google isn’t the only company investing in AI-based assistants. Giants like Microsoft and Apple are also in the race. For example, Microsoft is working on its own assistance tool, Copilot Vision, which allows you to interact with web pages and perform complex actions.
Similarly, Apple Intelligence is expected to offer Jarvis-like functionality, to allow users to interact with multiple apps seamlessly. With Jarvis, Google seeks to position itself as a leader in the automation of digital tasks using artificial intelligence. However, this enthusiasm for AI has raised criticism regarding the quality of existing services. Several users have reported errors in flagship services like Google Calendar or Google Maps, which could damage Google’s reputation in the long term if these problems are not resolved.
