In late 2023, Two App Studio launched a digital assistant called Odyssey AI that relies on Gemini and Vertex AI to enable functions that add depth and relevance to the Journal app. These include optical character recognition for image categorization, the automated generation of image captions, and search using the function-calling feature of Gemini. The service also provides human-like responses to user queries to support natural interactions with journal entries.

“Gemini has shown great versatility and adaptability in powering innovative features that meet user needs, such as personalized content in Journey,” says Yap. “For instance, it customizes photo categories based on the top photo themes unique to each user. This means that each user sees photo categories that are most relevant to them, making their journal experience more personalized and engaging.”

The use of Vertex AI and the Gemini API for smart photo categories and Odyssey AI has delivered a considerable boost to user engagement for Two App Studio. “After a recent update to our Android app, we increased average user engagement per user by 19%, while the number of views per user went up by over 7%,” says Yap. “Conversion rates to paid subscriptions went up by 8%. We are now advancing our plans to use generative AI to preserve and share users’ life stories with the next generation–effectively turning journals into biographies that can be printed out and read by users’ families.”

Two App Studio is also exploring options to turn individuals’ journals into digital clones that enable their family to continue to engage with their thoughts, philosophy, and personality after they have passed away. Furthermore, the organization is evaluating opportunities to transform static memories into, for example, an animated, four-second video, and to color black and white journal photos. “We have become a lot more ambitious for our product when we found out what we could do with generative AI,” says Yap.

Two App Studio's AI plans are being made considerably easier by the business’s decision to run Journey on a Google Cloud and Firebase infrastructure. The organization had started operations on a traditional cloud service that made it difficult for its administrators to correctly provision virtual-machine instances to support demand. This forced Two App Studio to lean towards over-provisioning its instances and keep skilled team members on standby to resolve issues 24 hours a day, seven days a week, hampering its ability to control costs. The business also wanted to reduce the resources required to keep security patches up to date, and move to a more closely integrated service to minimize its reliance on API keys.

The functionality of individual services, including Firebase Authentication to manage login and Firebase Local Emulator Suite to enable testing of complex scenarios locally before going live, was also attractive to Two App Studio. Furthermore, Google Cloud offered comprehensive guides, sample code, and a strong community, simplifying the learning and implementation process for developers. 

Using Google Cloud and Firebase also means resources scale seamlessly to align with demand, so Two App Studio pays only for what it uses and avoids upfront cost and waste. The business has set up alerts to avoid unexpected expenses and tracks spending using detailed billing reports. In addition, because Google Cloud automates updates, the business does not need to keep team members available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Monitoring tools provide real-time insights into app performance to enable rapid identification and remediation of any issues, while automated backup and disaster-recovery options help minimize risk. 

With Google Cloud and Firebase, Two App Studio’s development and operational teams have increased productivity by 30%. “Google Cloud has streamlined decision-making and created more efficient workflows,” explains Yap. “Instead of managing multiple service accounts, we use Identity and Access Management (IAM) to assign and grant permissions to developers based on their current projects. This removes the need for management to create accounts or generate API keys for different services, letting us implement new features quickly.”

The organization has reduced the time required for system upgrades and maintenance from an average of 12 manpower hours per week to less than eight. “Now, we need only focus on updating libraries and dependencies, saving a lot of time and effort,” says Yap.

Automation through Cloud Run functions and Cloud Scheduler has reduced the time required for routine maintenance tasks by 40%, enabling the team to focus on more innovation and improving user experience. Adopting a pay-as-you go model and optimizing resource usage has reduced operational costs by 20%, with the savings invested in enhancing the app. The business is also yet to experience any downtime on Google Cloud and Firebase, ensuring a high-quality user experience and avoiding potential reputational damage and lost business arising from a significant outage. 

“Google Cloud is helping us realize our goal with its strong, scalable cloud services that keep our users’ data safe and accessible from any location,” concludes Yap. “This allows our users to write their journals without worrying about privacy or losing their data. Google Cloud enables us to maintain our infrastructure easily and expand it quickly to keep up with user demand. Meanwhile, Gemini with Vertex AI has greatly improved how users experience and engage with our app—they can ask for information in their own way rather than rely exclusively on the app interface.”