It’s pretty obvious how Google has been trying to shift its emphasis towards Gemini over the past year, and sooner or later, we’d wonder when Google Assistant is finally going to retire, not if. The writing has been on the wall, and now Google is officially beginning to wind down the assistant that first launched in 2016.
1. Gemini Becomes Google’s New Assistant This Year
2. Gemini to Take Over Google Assistant in 2024
3. Google Assistant is Making Way for Gemini This Year
Just about a decade after it began serving our smartphones, tablets, smart home gadgets, cars, and TVs, GoogleAssistant will, along with many other recently abandoned products and services, make its home in Google’s graveyard later this year.
The tech giant announced the development in a surprise blog post, clearly highlighting its preferences to move towards generative AI for assistant interactions.
According to Google, millions have already made the switch from Google Assistant to Gemini, and it wants to bring the generative AI experience to many more users. As a result, it will begin automatically “upgrading” mobile devices from Google Assistant to Gemini.
“We believe an assistant should be personal to you, and aware of the world around you. It should be able to interact with the apps and services you already use. And it should make you more productive, more creative, and a bit more curious,” wrote Google, essentially kicking Google Assistant while it’s already down.
The tech giant didn’t share an exact date, month, or quarter for the change, but it did say that Google Assistant won’t be accessible on most mobile devices later this year. Besides, it won’t be available for new downloads either.
Elsewhere, while not evident at first, it looks like Google will make oddities for devices with less than 2GB of RAM running Android 9 or earlier. These devices will retain access to Google Assistant, at least for the foreseeable future.
The change isn’t limited to mobile devices either. “We’ll be upgrading tablets, cars, and devices that connect to your phone, such as headphones and watches, to Gemini,” wrote Google, adding that home devices like speakers, displays, and TVs will be upgraded to Gemini too — potentially at a later date. Until then, Google Assistant will continue performing as usual.
