Google has made it clear that it wants its Gemini AI assistant to be as much a part of your life as possible. Unfinished code recently discovered by Android Authority shows how upcoming Gemini extensions will serve that goal. The extensions integrate Gemini with various Google services, and there are at least six new extensions on the horizon.
Gemini extensions are similar to those used by Chrome and other web browsers, in that they are designed to enhance and streamline tasks you perform while using the platform. Gemini already offers extensions that link a half-dozen of its own services, including Google Flights, Hotels, Maps, Workspace, YouTube, and YouTube Music. These integrations allow Gemini to access personal data in real time and incorporate it into user requests. That might mean getting information about an upcoming trip from Google Flights or finding out how far a store is from a friend’s house.
The anticipated new extensions expand the range of utilities available through Gemini. Among the most notable unannounced extensions is Google Home. Gemini essentially replaces Google Assistant by giving the AI direct control over smart home devices without having to ask Google Assistant first. It’s a subtle but important reduction in the time between a request to turn on the lights and the switch’s response. How far the extension goes is unclear, based on the code, but it’s a definite step toward Gemini becoming the default voice assistant over Google Assistant.
The same goes for the Phone app extension seen in the code. Once again, the middleman role of Google Assistant is removed. Gemini would be able to handle phone call commands directly. Smartphones will also have access to the new Utilities extension, allowing Gemini to adjust phone settings and mobile apps. For example, instead of using specific and sometimes limited Google Assistant commands, much more informal language could be used to make Gemini take photos, adjust the volume, and open apps.
Extended Extension Version
The other three extensions highlighted in the code analysis were all announced at Google I/O this year and are a bit more specific. That said, Google Calendar, Keep, and Tasks are all widely used and popular apps that could benefit from Gemini’s AI model. These extensions will likely integrate with Gemini to manage schedules, notes, and to-do lists. Google hasn’t set a specific release date, though it could be part of a series of new productivity-related features or an individual release schedule.
All of Gemini’s current and upcoming extensions fit with Google’s onslaught of Gemini updates this year. The rushed schedule reflects not only how quickly Google is integrating Gemini across its ecosystem, but also the clear pressure the company feels to match or surpass its rivals in the same game. There’s been a lot of speculation about how Amazon will enhance Alexa with generative AI models, and Apple is expected to make its upcoming Apple Intelligence AI models a core element of Siri. Google wants consumers to see Gemini as the more efficient and versatile option, and perhaps take a bite out of the solid market share held by Amazon’s smart home ecosystem and Apple’s mobile devices.
