Google Gemini Live is the first AI that almost encourages you to be rude
Google made its Gemini AI assistant a little more human today by letting you interrupt or change the subject during a conversation. The tech giant announced the release of the long-promised Gemini Live for mobile devices during its Made by Google 2024 event. Instead of the specific commands typical of Google Assistant or Alexa, Gemini Live responds to everyday language and can even simulate speculation and brainstorming. The idea is to make conversations with the AI feel more natural.
Gemini Live is a bit like being on the phone with a super-fast personal assistant. The AI can talk and complete tasks at the same time. The multitasking is currently available to Gemini Advanced subscribers on Android devices, but Google said it will be expanding to iOS soon. The personalized choices extend to how Gemini sounds, too, with 10 new voice options in different styles. Google claims the improved speech engine will also make for more emotionally expressive and realistic interactions.
Despite similarities, Gemini Live isn’t simply Google’s version of OpenAI’s ChatGPT Advanced Voice Mode. ChatGPT in Voice Mode can struggle with long-term conversations. Gemini Live is built with a larger context window, which makes it better at remembering what you’ve said before.
Gemini Live Forever
Google also unveiled a longer list of Gemini extensions, which will integrate the AI more deeply with Google’s suite of apps and services. Upcoming extensions include integrations with Google Keep, Tasks, and expanded features on YouTube Music. The company described how you can ask Gemini Live to fetch a recipe from Gmail and add the ingredients to a shopping list in Keep, or create a playlist of songs from a specific era using YouTube Music. This level of integration will allow Gemini to seamlessly interact with the apps and content on a user’s device, offering assistance tailored to the context of their activities.
Still, Gemini Live isn’t quite where its demo at Google I/O 2024 suggested it would be. The visual processing shown there is still a pipe dream. It allows Gemini to see and interact with its surroundings via photos and videos taken on the mobile device. That could significantly increase the usefulness of Gemini Live. The new AI assistant features fit nicely with Google’s efforts to integrate Gemini into every part of your life. Google’s vision is a conversation with Gemini that never ends.