Google has made its Gemini AI assistant a little more human today by letting you interrupt or change the subject mid-conversation. The tech giant announced the launch of the long-promised Gemini Live for mobile at its Made by Google 2024 event. Instead of the common Google Assistant or Alexa-specific commands, Gemini Live will respond to informal language and can even simulate speculation and brainstorming. The idea is to make conversations with AI feel more natural.
Gemini Live is a bit like talking on the phone to a very fast personal assistant. The AI can talk and complete tasks at the same time. The multitasking feature is currently available to Gemini Advanced subscribers on Android devices, but Google said it will soon be expanded to iOS. The personal options extend to how Gemini sounds, too, with 10 new voice options of different styles. Google says the updated voice engine also offers more emotionally realistic and expressive interactions.
Despite the similarities, Gemini Live isn't just Google's version of OpenAI's ChatGPT advanced voice mode. ChatGPT in voice mode can struggle with extended conversations. Gemini Live is designed with a larger context window, making it better at remembering what you said a little earlier.
Gemini lives forever
Google also unveiled a longer list of Gemini extensions, which integrate AI more deeply with Google’s suite of apps and services. Upcoming extensions will include integrations with Google Keep, Tasks, and expanded features in YouTube Music. The company described how Gemini Live can be asked to retrieve 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 allows Gemini to interact more seamlessly with the apps and content on a user’s device, offering assistance that adapts to the context of their activities.
Gemini Live isn’t exactly where the demo at Google I/O 2024 suggested it would be, though. The visual processing shown there is still in the future. That will allow Gemini to see and respond to users’ surroundings through photos and videos taken with the mobile device. That could significantly expand Gemini Live’s utility. The AI assistant’s new features fit well with Google’s efforts to integrate Gemini into every part of your life. Google’s vision is a conversation with Gemini that never ends.
