Google has introduced significant changes to Google Assistant with the integration of Gemini, its advanced artificial intelligence (AI) technology. The new feature will replace the existing AI models providing conversational skills to Google Assistant. The integration was carried out following last year's inclusion of AI capabilities from Bard, Google's chatbot, which enabled Google Assistant to interpret images and collect data from emails and documents.
This new version of Google Assistant will be accessible through a Gemini-based application for Android devices and an upgraded Google application on iOS devices. The new version will initially be exclusive to mobile devices, with devices like Google Nest and Home speakers not experiencing changes just yet. The Gemini upgrade will be structured as an overlay, offering contextual recommendations and suggestions.
Furthermore, the features of the enhanced Google Assistant are vast. It can generate captions based on images already taken by users and provide deeper insights into the articles being read. Also, the Gemini-powered Google Assistant can take images, text, and voice prompts and use them to deliver relevant results. However, it's important to note that some features such as quick phrases and setting timers will continue to utilize the old AI models.
Google is offering the premium Gemini model, Gemini Ultra, through a subscription plan dubbed the Google One AI Premium Plan. This plan is billed at $20 per month and offers exclusive benefits such as advanced reasoning, coding, and instructional capabilities. It will also give users access to 2TB of storage capacity.
Starting today, the upgraded Google Assistant will be available in the United States for English-speaking users. In the upcoming weeks, the service will be expanded to cover other regions and languages including Japanese and Korean.