Google is fully committed to Gemini and is saying goodbye to the Assistant

Google has announced that it will replace its existing voice assistant with its own AI assistant called Gemini later this year. Gemini is already available on smartphones if users install the corresponding app. But Google will soon be forcing the switch, at least for suitable devices. This applies not only to cell phones, but also to smartphone-connected devices such as tablets and cars. AI is also set to replace the voice assistant for domestic devices such as speakers and televisions.

The Google Assistant was introduced back in 2016 at Google I/O and brought natural language recognition and processing into everyday life. However, the voice assistant's intelligence is limited to continuing conversations by remembering the topic of the previous query and being able to answer the next question in context. But now comes artificial intelligence (AI).

Google's Gemini app has also been available in Germany since June 2024, but installation has so far been voluntary. Once installed, the AI replaces the previous Google Assistant on Android smartphones, for example, so that the new AI assistant can also be called up with the familiar "Hey Google" voice command. This should not only make cell phones smarter and more useful, Google's Gemini has also moved into the smart home, for example in Google Home and Nest cameras.

Google's forced switch to AI

Until now, Android users have been able to shut themselves off from AI, but this will hardly be possible in the future. New smartphones are already being delivered with Gemini as an AI assistant. Users of the previous voice assistant will soon be asked to switch to Gemini. At the end of 2025, the classic Google Assistant will also be removed from the app stores, after which only Gemini will be available as an AI assistant.

However, not all devices will be able to simply download the new assistant. Although the system requirements for Gemini are moderate - you need at least Android 10 and 2 GB of RAM - the Google Assistant is permanently integrated in many devices other than cell phones, some of which no longer receive regular updates.

Details on the AI transition of smart home devices later

According to the blog post, Google is still working on how connected speakers, displays and televisions will receive Gemini updates. The company promises corresponding information in the coming months. For the time being, the Google Assistant will continue to be usable on these devices. It is not yet clear whether this will also apply to devices that do not meet the minimum requirements for Gemini, perhaps even beyond this year.

The forced switch to Gemini also harbors pitfalls in terms of content. For example, setting a wake-up call using a voice assistant is almost effortless, but can quickly go wrong using AI, writes Ars Technica. Gemini also achieved mixed results in a random test by heise online. For example, the AI recognized a photographed computer mouse, but was unable to identify the exact model despite a clearly visible logo. Google's separate image recognition system Lens, on the other hand, had no problem identifying the exact model of the mouse.

(fds)