The Made by Google event, in theory, is dedicated exclusively to “hardware,” which is why today’s event focused on devices like the new Pixel 9, Pixel Watch 3, and Pixel Buds Pro 2. However, in the current situation, Google couldn’t hold an event like this without dedicating time to artificial intelligence, which has been its top priority for the past two years.
As expected, Gemini’s generative AI has taken up space in all the products presented by Google today, whether with the voice assistant in the headphones or with the integration with watches. But the real “blow” that Google has dealt against ChatGPT was not long in coming, with the presentation of Gemini Live.
Gemini Live is a new “mobile conversational experience”; and although the company didn’t say it that way, it’s clear that this is the replacement for Google Assistant. The voice assistant has been relegated to some aspects of Google Home and Gemini has taken its place. With this “Live” version, Gemini has managed to far surpass Google Assistant and other voice assistants, in capability and naturalness.
The key to Gemini Live being a conversational AI is that it is able to react to our words even if it already gives us an answer. For example, if you make a list of potential jobs that are a good fit for us, we can ask him to stop and this takes into account an aspect that is particularly important to us. The AI will be able to stop and generate a new response taking into account what it was doing and what we asked it to do.
Gemini Live also works hands-free, either with your mobile phone or with the Pixel Buds Pro 2 earbuds. With the phone lockedthe Gemini app stays in the background and can talk to us while we do something else.
In Google’s words, it’s like having “a friend in your pocket,” and to reinforce that idea, Gemini now has ten new different voices, which will allow us to choose the tone and style that suits us best. Initially, Gemini Live will only be available in English for Gemini Advanced subscribers, but Google promises that it will expand to other languages in the coming weeks.
Gemini is set to become the center of the entire Google experience, thanks to the arrival of new extensions that allow AI to connect to other applications in the company. For example, you can connect to google keep to list ingredients from a recipe, and will also have expanded functionality with YouTube Music.
THE extension with Calendar It will allow you to use the camera to create events or to check gaps in your calendar. For example, we can take a photo of a concert poster, ask Gemini if we have any commitments that day at that time and set a reminder to buy tickets.
The integration of Gemini into Android also continues, replacing Google Assistant. Starting today, Gemini can appear as an overlay on other applications that appear on our screen. This will allow you to access its functions literally anywhere, simply by saying “Hey Google” or long pressing on the power button. Using the “Search on screen” button, we can ask Gemini for help about the app or content we’re viewing; and some apps like YouTube are better integrated with videos. For example, we can ask Gemini about a video of restaurants, get a list, and automatically add them to Google Maps.
Gemini is able to adapt to different phone models, taking advantage of its strengths. On Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 6, for example, it’s possible to use Gemini to multitask on a split screen with multiple windows, and on clamshell foldables like the Motorola Razr+, you can use the external display to view email summaries without having to open the phone.
