RIP Google Assistant? Gemini AI Poised to Replace It This Year

Google is set to retire Google Assistant and gradually replace it with its flagship Gemini AI.

Google Assistant launched in 2016, making Android’s virtual assistant practically a relic in today’s AI world. Google plans to upgrade users “over the coming months,” with the classic Assistant becoming unavailable for most mobile devices by year’s end.

However, the switch won’t apply to all Android users, at least in the short term. If you don’t have the hardware to run Google Gemini—which requires a device with more than 2GB of RAM running Android 10 or later—things will stay as they are.

The change comes in the midst of a “platform shift” from natural language processing and voice recognition technology to generative AI, Google says.

Gemini is now the company’s focus and several new features have rolled out this year. This week, it detailed an opt-in tool that lets Gemini tailor its responses based on past searches. For example, if you ask, “What new hobby or job should I explore?” Gemini will consider your search history in its response. It can also show you which data sources—like saved info, past chats, or search history—were used to generate the response.

To try the feature, go to Gemini Apps and select “Personalization (experimental)” from the model drop-down menu to connect to search history. If you’d prefer for Gemini not to constantly access your search history, you can opt out and disconnect the integration anytime.

Last month, Gemini gained the ability to recall past conversations, allowing users to ask for an AI-generated summary of previous discussions on a particular topic. Google also announced that the tool will soon get new screen-sharing and live video capabilities as part of Gemini Live at this year’s Mobile World Congress.

Not sure how to use Google Gemini now that it’s coming to your phone? Check out PCMag’s guide to using Gemini to make life easier.

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About Will McCurdy

Contributor

I’m a reporter covering weekend news. Before joining PCMag in 2024, I picked up bylines in BBC News, The Guardian, The Times of London, The Daily Beast, Vice, Slate, Fast Company, The Evening Standard, The i, TechRadar, and Decrypt Media.

I’ve been a PC gamer since you had to install games from multiple CD-ROMs by hand. As a reporter, I’m passionate about the intersection of tech and human lives. I’ve covered everything from crypto scandals to the art world, as well as conspiracy theories, UK politics, and Russia and foreign affairs.

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