Eight years ago, Google Assistant was supposed to be the future. It promised a seamless way to interact with Google using just your voice. Back then, Google Assistant looked cutting-edge, a response to Amazon‘s Alexa and a showcase of Google’s prowess in natural language processing. But at the recent Google I/O 2024, there were whispers of a shift. The star of the show was Gemini, a new AI model that could hold conversations and understand context. So what happened to Google Assistant? Did it hit a dead end, or is it a stepping stone to something bigger?

A promising start

Google Assistant arrived in 2016 alongside the Google Home smart speaker. It aimed to be a conversational partner, a “personal Google” that could answer your questions, control your smart home devices, and even make appointments for you. It integrated well with Google services, allowing you to set reminders, send messages, and manage your calendar with your voice. Features like Duplex, which could make calls and bookings on your behalf, showcased the potential of voice assistants.

The slowdown

However, progress on Google Assistant seems to have stalled. While competitors like Alexa have caught up in voice recognition and speed, Assistant hasn’t offered many groundbreaking features in recent years. The core functionality on the current Nest Audio speaker, released in 2020, feels very similar to what was available years ago.

The limits of voice commands

Part of the problem might be the technology itself. Current voice assistants like Assistant, Siri, and Alexa are essentially “command-and-control” systems. They understand a limited set of questions and requests. Conversations feel clunky and limited, no matter how many “skills” or “actions” (additional functionalities) they acquire.

Enter generative AI

This is where Google’s new project, Gemini, comes in. Powered by large language models, Gemini is a generative AI. Unlike Assistant, it can respond to a wide range of prompts and questions in a natural, conversational way. It can handle follow-up questions and adapt to the context of the conversation, something the Assistant always struggled with. This makes Gemini a more promising candidate for a true AI assistant, and Google seems to be betting big on it.

The future of voice assistants

Google Assistant might not have lived up to its initial promise, but it may have paved the way for more advanced AI assistants like Gemini. With its focus on natural conversation and context, Gemini could be the future of how we interact with technology. While Assistant seems to be fading, its legacy might lie in the groundwork it laid for this new generation of AI. The battle for the future of voice assistants has just begun, and Google, with its new champion Gemini, is determined to be a frontrunner.