Google This week has seen a flurry of new hardware debut, from the Pixel 9 smartphone to new wireless earbuds. Underpinning these shiny gadgets is Google’s artificial intelligence assistant, Gemini. The chatbot was released earlier this year and is now the default assistant on the Pixel 9 series, and is already available on millions of Android phones around the world. But a new way to talk to the chatbot is now rolling out: Gemini Live.
It’s Google’s answer to OpenAI’s GPT-4o, a way to converse with your assistant naturally, much like a normal voice conversation between two humans (at least, that’s the goal). The English version is currently available to Gemini Advanced subscribers ($20 per month) and can be accessed by tapping the small (Live) button in the bottom right of the Gemini app. It will be coming to the iOS app and other languages ​​in the coming weeks.
Google’s VP of Gemini experiences, Sissy Xiao, tells WIRED that the chatbot isn’t just a rehash of Google Assistant; it’s an interface that’s been completely rebuilt from the ground up using generative AI. “Over the years that we’ve been building Assistant, there have been two recurring requests from users,” Xiao says. “The first is that they want a more fluid, more natural assistant. They want to be able to talk to them naturally, without having to change the way they speak. The second is that they want a more capable assistant. They want it to help them solve life’s problems, not just do simple tasks.”
Live from Google
When you launch Gemini, you’ll see a blank screen with a fantastic light shining upwards from the bottom. You can talk to the Assistant and start a conversation, even when your phone is locked and the screen is off. It’s also accessible through Google’s new Pixel Buds Pro 2 wireless earbuds, so you can talk hands-free when your phone is in your bag. Choose from 10 different voices with different tones, accents and styles. When you end your session, you’ll see a transcript of your entire conversation, which you can access anytime in the Gemini app.
Unlike older voice assistants, Gemini Live lets you pause a conversation without interrupting the overall experience (which is especially useful since Gemini tends to talk a lot). It’s also expected to connect with other apps through extensions, many of which aren’t available yet. For example, you could ask Gemini Live to surface a party invitation in Gmail and ask for the time and location instead of figuring it out yourself. Or you could ask it to look up a recipe and add the ingredients to your shopping list in Google Keep. Google says these extensions for apps like Keep, Tasks, Utilities, Calendar, and YouTube Music will be rolling out in the coming weeks.