5-10-2023 (CALIFORNIA) In an exciting development, Google announced on Wednesday its plans to incorporate generative artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities into its virtual assistant. According to a company executive who spoke to Reuters, this addition will enable the assistant to assist users in tasks such as trip planning and email management, while also allowing for follow-up questions.
During a hardware event held in New York, the Alphabet subsidiary revealed its intention to integrate generative AI features from its Bard chatbot into Google’s virtual assistant. The objective is to provide users with personalized assistance that combines reasoning and generative capabilities, all within the convenience of their mobile devices.
Sissie Hsiao, Vice President of Google Assistant and Bard, expressed enthusiasm about the potential of this new feature. “A whole task is done through a couple of simple questions that you’re asking your assistant, which is, we think, a very, very powerful concept,” Hsiao explained in an interview with Reuters.
Google, alongside other tech giants such as Meta Platforms, Amazon.com, and Microsoft, has been actively competing to incorporate generative AI into their existing products or create new ones. This year, these companies have intensified their efforts to leverage the capabilities of AI technology.
The forthcoming version of Google’s virtual assistant will grant access to a mobile phone’s camera and microphone, allowing users to input images or audio that will help the assistant provide more accurate responses to queries. However, Hsiao clarified that the new software will not include revenue-generating features as Google is still in the early stages of exploring generative AI.
“We want to learn how to make a great experience out of this,” emphasized the Google Vice President.
While the company has not disclosed a specific release date, Google stated that the new software will be made available to its trusted tester program in the near future. Additionally, the company plans to launch versions compatible with both Android and Apple’s iOS, catering to a wide range of mobile device users.
