Google wants to give you the TLDR in a click

Google has debuted a new AI powered feature called Help Me Read.

Powered by Gemini and shown off at the launch of new Intel's Core Ultra processors ahead of this year’s IFA conference in Berlin, Help Me Read works exactly the way it sounds. The feature allows you to click on a hyperlink and receive a summary of (what Gemini considers to be) the most important details. 

The obvious caveats around AI apply here. Still, the ability to skim a hyperlink in a single click does present some obvious potential to save time. You can even enter specific queries if you're looking for more detail.

Google’s vice president and general manager for ChromeOS John Solomon was on hand to demo the feature, which he framed as a response to market signals that consumers and businesses are demanding not just more powerful Chromebook PCs but also smarter ones.

“I’m really proud of the work our teams are doing together at bringing helpful AI to Chromebooks,” he said.

Solomon said that platforms like Meteor Lake would allow Google to bring AI from the background to the foreground through features like Help Me Read, which run on local AI processors rather than cloud-based ones.

“This is the kind of core productivity feature we’re focused on,” Solomon said.

The on-stage demo of the feature was tied to the launch of Google's latest lot of Intel-powered Chromebooks. However, it's not crazy to imagine it coming to other Google services or platforms sooner rather than later.

According to Google, the feature will roll out later this month. In the meantime, you can check out the demo for yourself here. Solomon walks onto the stage around five minutes in and starts to show off Help Me Read around the seven-and-a-half-minute mark.