Goodbye Google Assistant...Hello Bard? (OK, Gemini)
TLDRGoogle's new generative AI assistant, Bard, is reportedly set to replace the Google Assistant, indicating a significant shift in the company's strategy. Recent restructuring and reductions in Google's hardware and assistant teams, along with the removal of 17 features from the Google Assistant, suggest a transition towards Bard. Despite some regions and products being incompatible with Bard, Google's move towards generative AI reflects a broader industry trend towards more conversational and advanced digital assistance. The future of Google's smart home lineup and the Google Assistant remains uncertain, but the company seems to be preparing for a hybrid approach or a Bard-centric experience.
Takeaways
- 🌟 Google is reportedly restructuring its hardware teams and reducing its core engineering staff, affecting both Google Assistant and other product teams.
- 🚀 Google Assistant has seen a reduction in features, with 17 being removed due to underutilization, aiming to improve quality and reliability.
- 🔍 Changes in beta versions of Google and Google Messages apps suggest that Bard, a new AI assistant, is set to replace the Google Assistant.
- 🌐 Despite Bard's upcoming role, not all countries, like Canada, will have immediate access to it, and some Google Nest products won't support Bard.
- 📈 Google's history shows a pattern of killing off products and reducing support for them, with recent examples like the Dropcam and Nest Guard Security system.
- 🔄 Google acquired Nest in 2014, leading to product improvements but also the discontinuation of some features and the transition from the Nest app to Google Home app.
- 🔧 Google is likely to implement a plan for transitioning existing products with Google Assistant to Bard, possibly using a hybrid approach.
- 📱 The tensor chips in Google Pixel phones are预示 the future integration of generative AI workloads, which older Nest and Pixel devices may not support.
- 🔮 The industry is moving towards generative AI, with Bard being part of this trend, and users will have options for digital assistance in line with these advancements.
- 🏠 While the future of Google's smart home lineup under the Nest brand remains uncertain, the focus seems to be on Android for the introduction of Bard in the smart home space.
Q & A
What is Google's new generative AI assistant called?
-Google's new generative AI assistant is named Bard.
What recent changes have been made to Google's hardware teams?
-Google restructured its hardware teams, combining those involved in Pixel, Nest, and Fitbit gear under a single leader.
How many people were reportedly released from Google's core engineering and Google Assistant teams?
-A few hundred people were released from each team, amounting to a sizable reduction for the company.
Why did the Google Assistant team announce the removal of 17 features?
-The features were relatively underutilized, and their removal was intended to improve the overall quality and reliability of the Google Assistant.
What does the change in language within the Google app suggest about the future of the Google Assistant?
-The change in language suggests that Bard, the new AI assistant, is set to replace the Google Assistant.
How has Google's approach to sunsetting products changed over time?
-Google has improved its approach by giving users more time to adapt and providing better support during the transition from older to newer products.
What was the original goal for the Google Assistant with the introduction of Google Duplex?
-The goal was to make the Google Assistant more conversational and useful for daily tasks, such as answering phone calls, handling spam calls, making reservations, and filling out forms on the web.
What is the significance of the tensor chips in Google Pixel phones?
-The tensor chips are designed to handle some of the generative AI workload, indicating a shift towards more advanced AI capabilities in Google's products.
What are the possible future scenarios for existing Google Assistant products in light of Bard's introduction?
-The possible scenarios include leaving existing products with the Google Assistant, upgrading them to the Bard experience, or implementing a hybrid model.
What is the current status of new product releases under the Google Nest brand?
-There have been no new releases for Google's smart home lineup under the Nest brand in the last couple of years, and no recent FCC filings or announcements suggest imminent new hardware.
What does the industry trend indicate about the future of digital assistance?
-The industry trend indicates a move towards generative AI, with Bard being a part of this larger shift towards more advanced and conversational digital assistance.
Outlines
🤖 Google's AI Shift: Bard's Emergence and Assistant's Future
This paragraph discusses the potential replacement of Google Assistant by a new AI named Bard. It highlights recent restructuring within Google's hardware teams, including Pixel, Nest, and Fitbit, and the reduction in engineering staff. The removal of 17 features from the Google Assistant is noted, suggesting a shift in focus towards Bard. The changes in beta versions of Google apps and the anticipation of Bard's integration are also mentioned, emphasizing the uncertainty surrounding the Google Assistant's future.
📉 Google's History with Product Lifecycles
This section delves into Google's track record with product lifecycles, noting the company's tendency to discontinue or sunset products. It specifically mentions the end-of-life status of Dropcam and Nest Guard. The discussion then shifts to the acquisition of Nest and the evolution of its products under Google's management. The paragraph also addresses user concerns about the transition from the Nest app to Google Home app, highlighting Google's efforts to retain features and improve user experience.
🚀 Transition to Bard: The Next Phase in AI Assistance
The focus here is on the transition from Google Assistant to Bard, emphasizing the language and functional shifts observed in Google's app. The paragraph discusses the user feedback that has influenced Google's response to the assistant's shortcomings. It also explores the potential capabilities of Bard, which are seen as a more conversational and generative AI experience. The speaker shares personal experiences with the Google Assistant and provides insights into the future of voice assistance with Bard.
🌐 Future of Google Assistant and Smart Home Integration
This paragraph speculates on the future of the Google Assistant in the context of smart home devices. It examines the potential strategies Google might employ for existing products with the assistant, including maintaining the status quo, upgrading to Bard, or creating a hybrid experience. The limitations of older devices in supporting generative AI features are discussed, along with the implications for future hardware updates. The paragraph concludes with a prediction that Android, rather than Fuchsia or Nest, will likely be the platform for Bard's smart home debut.
🏠 The State of Google's Smart Home Lineup and Bard's Role
In this final paragraph, the discussion centers on the current state of Google's smart home lineup and the potential integration of Bard. It notes the lack of new Nest-branded releases and speculates on the possible introduction of Bard within the Android ecosystem. The paragraph also addresses the absence of new hardware announcements from the Nest team and the uncertainty surrounding the future of Google's smart home products. The speaker expresses a belief that the Google Assistant, even if rebranded as Bard, will continue to be accessible, despite the potential loss of features.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Google's new generative AI assistant
💡Google Assistant
💡Bard
💡Pixel, Nest, and Fitbit
💡Restructuring of Hardware teams
💡Feature removal
💡Digital Assistant
💡Natural Language Processing (NLP)
💡Google Duplex
💡Fuchsia operating system
💡Generative AI
Highlights
Google's new generative AI assistant named Bard is set to take over the existing Google Assistant.
Google restructured its hardware teams, combining those involved in Pixel, Nest, and Fitbit gear under one leader.
There has been a significant reduction in the core engineering and Google Assistant teams, with hundreds of people let go.
17 features were removed from the Google voice assistant, citing underutilization and a focus on improving quality and reliability.
Changes in beta versions of Google and Google Messages apps suggest the end of the Google Assistant and the rise of Bard.
Despite the introduction of Bard, some countries like Canada cannot use it, and some Google Nest products are without Bard.
The Google Assistant was announced in May 2016 and integrated into various apps and devices, leading the industry in voice assistance and natural language processing.
Google Assistant's development slowed down around 2020, with features being reduced and the Android Things operating system being cancelled.
Google has a history of killing off products and not supporting them well, with the Dropcam and Nest Guard Security system reaching end of life as of April 2024.
When Google acquired Nest in 2014, it improved and made Nest products more accessible, though some features were removed.
The Google home app was introduced to replace the Nest app, but many users still prefer the older app for its features.
Bard is a generative AI experience that allows for a more conversational voice assistant experience.
The Google Assistant was being prepared to be more like Bard through Google Duplex, aiming for usefulness in daily tasks and conversational abilities.
Google is reacting to user feedback about the Google Assistant's accuracy and reliability issues by shifting towards Bard.
Existing Google devices might continue to use what appears to be the Google Assistant but could actually be using Bard or a combined service.
New features coming to Google's products as a result of Bard will be generative AI-based and may require specific hardware.
The tensor chips in Google Pixel phones are designed to handle some of the generative workload for the future of AI assistants.
Current Nest and older Pixel devices, as well as Fitbit lineup, may not be able to support the future Bard experience due to hardware limitations.
The industry is moving towards generative AI, and Bard represents the future of digital assistance.