Google’s Astra AI Is Rolling Out – And People Are Kind of Freaked Out

So Google’s Project Astra? That weird camera AI they showed off last year? It’s actually happening now. Like right now. Some Gemini users are waking up to find their phones have gained what I can only describe as “creepy helpful vision.”

Early adopter Jamie L. posted a TikTok that’s going viral where she points her phone at a half-built IKEA shelf and Astra just… starts giving instructions. No prompt. No “Hey Google.” It literally saw the problem and jumped in. The comments are split between “This is amazing” and “Burn it with fire.”

Photographers on Reddit’s r/cameras are having a field day testing its limits. One guy asked which lens would work best for his dimly-lit kitchen food shots, and Astra apparently suggested specific settings plus “maybe clean your stove first.” Savage.

The glasses-finding thing actually works too – my colleague tried it after seeing the demo and Astra nailed it (“They’re under your notebook, the blue one”). Though we all agreed it’s unsettling when the AI says things like “You left them there 17 minutes ago.”

Here’s what’s wild though – it’s not consistent. Some users get this hyper-smart version, others just get basic “That’s a dog” descriptions. Google’s being typically vague about who gets what, with their support forums full of “How do I get the good one?” posts.

Tech YouTuber Marques Brownlee put it best: “It’s like Google gave my phone a pair of eyes and the judgmental tone of my old art teacher.” The demo where it critiques someone’s pottery glaze choices is painfully accurate.

Are you ready for this?! .. Google’s Astra Project can interpret what your smartphone camera is seeing, can understand the universe, and can also suggest how to modify this universe using the magic of AI.

What’s clear is this isn’t just another assistant. When Astra notices you’re holding a receipt and asks “Want me to log this in your budget?” without being asked… that’s a whole new level. Whether we’re ready for that level is another question.