Google has announced it will be phasing out Google Assistant on mobile devices and replacing it with Gemini AI “over the coming months” – as a result, the classic Assistant will no longer be available when the switchover occurs (with some exceptions).
Gemini AI Replaces Assistant
Gemini is Google’s AI chatbot meant to compete against the likes of ChatGPT, and just like OpenAI’s offering, it relies on large language models (LLMs) to better understand human language. With this upgrade, Gemini should solve one of the common shortcomings of the pre-AI era digital assistants (Apple’s Siri, meanwhile, has since been supercharged with natural language capabilities since the introduction of Apple Intelligence).
Besides Android smartphones, Google says the upgrade will also extend to tablets, cars, and connected devices such as headphones and smartwatches; additionally, Gemini-powered experiences will be introduced to home devices, including speakers, displays, and TVs in the coming months, with additional announcements to be made in due time.
One small caveat of running AI models onboard is more demanding hardware requirements, although in this case it’s still a low barrier to overcome by today’s smartphone standards. We’re talking about a minimum of 2GB RAM and Android 10 and up – if a device doesn’t meet this requirement, things stay where they are and Assistant will continue to function as usual.
Pokdepinion: So long, Google Assistant.
