Google Assistant is now gearing up for a groundbreaking transformation, perhaps a much needed one at that. According to an Axios report, the digital assistant is getting a major upgrade as the tech giant plans to unleash the power of generative AI, paving the way for smarter, more natural conversations with users, and empowering Assistant to deliver more nuanced responses.
Google has noted “the profound potential of generative AI to transform people’s lives and see a huge opportunity to explore what a supercharged Assistant, powered by the latest LLM technology, would look like.” The company informed the same in an internal email sent to its employees on Monday.
In this regard, one of the key technologies expected to be integrated into the new Assistant is LaMDA (Language Model for Dialogue Applications), which powers chatbots like Bard and OpenAI’s ChatGPT. By harnessing LaMDA’s capabilities, Assistant will gain a better understanding of context during interactions, enabling coherent and thoughtful dialogue. This upgrade is likely to be a game-changer for users accustomed to the original Assistant’s limited abilities, and Google is already working on this, beginning with mobile.
An AI-powered Google Assistant is nothing to scoff at. The current version of Assistant often provides straightforward responses based on pre-programmed scripts, which can feel robotic and limited in its interactions. Generative AI, powered by technologies like LaMDA, will allow Assistant to create a more fluid and immersive experience for users, making interactions with Assistant feel more intuitive and human.
It will also be able to process complex requests and execute tasks with greater accuracy by leveraging the advanced language processing capabilities of LaMDA and similar models. All of this paves the way for a more personalized and customized user experience, allowing Assistant to tailor its responses and recommendations as per the individual preferences and habits of the users.
As part of the overhaul of its digital Assistant, Google is also bringing a number of changes to its organization. For one, it is combining its Services and Surfaces teams. For another, it is also be laying off a small number of employees as part of the update to Google Assistant. The company, in its internal email, announced that a small number of roles within the team will be eliminated, and impacted employees will have a minimum of 60-day internal search period, based on local requirements.
“We remain deeply committed to Assistant and we are optimistic about its bright future ahead,” Google VP Peeyush Ranjan and director of product Duke Dukellis wrote in the e-mail. They will also host a town hall on Tuesday to speak more on the matter.
