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Artificial Intelligence (AI) has quickly become trendy thanks to chatbots such as ChatGPT, but did you know you already use an AI on your Android phone? Google Assistant, their AI-powered voice assistant, can be found across numerous smart devices.
Nest speakers and Android and iOS operating systems can access Google Assistant for use. Although not as sophisticated as ChatGPT (yet.), Google Assistant still manages an impressive range of activities - from pausing/resuming tunes or films, creating tasks/reminders, or taking/screening phone calls, all in real-time.
Though using Google Assistant might sound complex, its use shouldn't be too challenging.
What Is Google Assistant?
Before understanding Google AI Assistant, one must gain an appreciation of its origin.
Although its history stretches far back into Google's search function, Voice Search was where its foundation began and marked an early glimpse of what later would become Google Assistant. While initially, this capability only supported basic voice commands (voice searches, for example), today, we can achieve much more using our voices with it than in years gone by.
Android 4.1 Jelly Bean marked an essential transformation with Google Now's introduction, featuring Voice Search by "Majel," named for Majel Barrett - wife of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, who voiced several computer characters - as part of its updated Voice Search capabilities.
Critical updates included reading out results aloud and notifications of appointments or traffic delays that you need to keep informed on; later versions also integrated Gmail integration, further expanding the functionality of this system.
After many years, Google Now was gradually integrated into Google Assistant and made available on the original Pixel device.
Since then, Android phones running Android 6.0 Marshmallow or later have received Google Assistant, and it continues to gain functionality and usefulness over time.
Google Now was first released 10 years ago, and since then, many aspects of their ambition have come true. Though far removed from Star Trek-esque all-knowing computers, Google Assistant still plays an instrumental role in our daily lives - from managing TVs, music players, and vacuum cleaners, helping with homework or making appointments to even helping manage TV shows.
Everything Google Assistant Can Do
An exhaustive description of everything Google Assistant can do would be unmanageably exhaustive and beyond the scope of this essay.
But for an idea of what your AI buddy may offer, here is an outline of their general capabilities:
General Knowledge Inquiries
Google Assistant can give you general details about a subject. When reading from search results pages, Google Assistant will read out something and point you in the direction of its solution immediately.
Helpful in performing simple math operations or deciphering unknown words quickly - perform math formulae, define words quickly, or provide weather reports - you could ask it anything from performing simple addition to providing celebrity height information. When uncertain of an answer, it usually provides links or reads out additional material from websites that it believes might contain it.
Depending on its configuration, Google Helper can serve as both an individual and family Assistant. Most intimate inquiries require Voice Match to ensure Google does not disclose sensitive data to third parties.
Once it's set up, however, Google Assistant allows you to ask it questions about your work commute or upcoming events, manage Google privacy settings, or delete saved data altogether.
Control Streaming And Other Devices
Google Assistant can be found across many devices, including smartphones, tablets, and smart speakers, providing extensive functionality.
You can program it to do things such as call your phone number when needed or change phone settings, as well as play specific TV programs when asked.
Pixel-Specific Abilities
Google Pixel smartphones stand apart from other phones by being closely integrated with Google Assistant and offering various AI-driven capabilities that enhance phone use and experience, such as answering calls on behalf or holding onto call queue spots for you.
These may not require specific user orders but benefit from AI powering these services directly. For example, this might involve asking Google Assistant to answer calls on your behalf or holding your spot when waiting in a queue for one caller.
Pixel smartphones typically take advantage of new capabilities first when getting updated features; Assistant-devoted fans often favor Pixel phones over others.
And A Whole Lot More
Here, we have only scratched the surface; we only briefly touched upon Google Assistant's many capabilities to translate languages, send text messages, or work with specific apps.
If you would like to delve deeper, our longer list offers further insights; otherwise, we advise at least skimming it to gain an overview of everything your Assistant is capable of helping with.
Read more: Is Google's AI Assistant Update Costing Your Company Millions?
What Devices Have Google Assistant?
Google Assistant stands out among smart home products by its versatility; it can integrate with multiple gadgets seamlessly, making it simple and cost-efficient to equip your home with multiple connected smart devices that all work on the same network.
Google Assistant first became widely available on smartphones and tablets, starting with those created by Huawei and Amazon Fire tablet; most Android phones and tablets--with some notable exceptions such as outdated models like those created by HTC or LG--are equipped with Google Assistant, including high-end options like Samsung's Galaxy S23 Ultra, Pixel 7 Pro or even more affordable handsets like Nokia G60--provide access.
As expected, Google Assistant can be integrated into wearable OS-enabled smartwatches like the Pixel Watch and Samsung Galaxy Watch 5.
But they both retain it because these watches operate a modified version of Wear OS as their core software platform.
What about Apple devices like 14 Pro models? Though Google Assistant comes preinstalled on Apple iPhones, if you would like an easy way to add it to your device by downloading its App Store version, you may install the Shortcuts app and create a shortcut using Siri to launch Google Assistant: open Shortcuts > Create Shortcut> Action and choose Assistant from the list - add Hey Google as its action and add its Shortcut - before finally activating via Siri by saying: 'Hey Siri, Hey Google".
Google Assistant isn't limited to tablets and smartphones - its presence can also be found on smart speakers from JBL, Sonos, Bose, and other manufacturers such as Bose.
Furthermore, smart plugs, lightbulbs, robot vacuums, and locks may support Google Assistant, too, so if it exists - chances are reasonable that you will find one supporting it if one exists.
Where To Find Google Assistant Settings
Google Assistant might seem simple at first glance, but there's much going on behind the scenes that may surprise you.
There's an abundance of settings and extra options that allow for even greater enjoyment when using it; these settings can be found within your Home app.
Step 1: Launch the Home app.
Step 2: Select your face in the upper right and then navigate to Assistant Settings for assistance.
This location features many self-explanatory settings; however, some options deserve special consideration. Under You > You, for instance, you can get closer to your Assistant by creating family contacts (for instance, "call Dad or Mom"); You > Transport allows you to select how you will transport yourself: by walking, biking, or driving.
Assistant Routines could be just what you need to automate additional tasks in your life. With highly configurable actions such as initiating many different activities with one prompt - perhaps programming living room lamps to come on at certain times daily, starting up a podcast playlist when heading off for work in the morning, or setting a bedtime ritual upon saying goodnight to your Assistant; all within Assistant Settings > Routines.
These are only two advanced settings you can configure on your Assistant. However, there are plenty of others you could also use: Face Match for personalized camera results on smart devices with cameras, setting specific dietary needs or notifications from Family Bell at certain times, and much more.
Take your time exploring what else there is in this menu - there's so much here that we could write an entire blog post highlighting all it contains.
How To Change Google Assistant's Voice
As your Assistant will likely speak often, its voice should be something you enjoy hearing - if not, you can quickly make necessary changes using the settings app.
Step 1: Launch the Home app.
Step 2: Please select your face in the top-right and then the Assistant settings.
Step 3: Scroll down and select Assistant Voice & Sounds from the drop-down list...
Step 4: Your options for purchasing are represented by coloured circles; navigate them and decide on one you like best.
How To Turn Off Google Assistant
Not everyone needs an AI assistant like Google Assistant; in such a scenario, follow these procedures to unsubscribe:
Step 1: Start using the Home app on your phone now.
Step 2: Unlock Assistant Settings by tapping your face in the top-right of the Home app.
Step 3: Unlock Assistant Settings by tapping your face in the top-right of the Home app.
Step 4: Untick the Google Assistant option.
It will disable Google Assistant from your phone entirely, including being unable to utilize Snapshot-powered services and receive "Hey Google" triggers.
Should this become excessive for you, go back into your Assistant settings screen, select Hey Google & Voice Match, and uncheck the "Hey Google" Listening feature from there.
Disabling Google Assistant on Google Nest devices is possible. However, we advise against doing so as doing so would make them passive speakers instead.
You could, however, temporarily deafen them using their hardware mute switch if desired if you want to be sure Google Assistant isn't listening in on everything that comes out your mouth.
Google Duet AI: Enhanced Gmail, Docs, Sheets $30/Month
Gmail, Google Docs, Meet, Sheets, and Slides now come equipped with artificial intelligence capabilities from Duet for Google Workspace - available for anyone to test out and experience firsthand.
These products, much like Microsoft's Office 365 Copilot tools, cost money. Google Workspace Duet AI suite is being offered free for 14-day free trials to major enterprises for $30 per user per month, with pricing details forthcoming in subsequent months for consumers and smaller businesses.
Duet AI tools aim to add extra intelligence to some of Google's popular services. You can ask Duet to construct custom forms in Sheets, add drawings to Slides presentations, generate birthday party invites through Gmail, and prepare resume templates in Docs with text prompts.
Aparna Pappu, CEO of Google Workspace, wrote on Tuesday in connection with the Google Cloud Next conference that Google had been testing Duet AI tools since they debuted at I/O in May, with over one million individuals trying them out since then.
They reported that all 3 billion Google Workspace accounts can now access Duet AI.
Artificial intelligence (AI), the fast-evolving computing technique revolutionized over the past year by language models, represents an immense risk.
AI systems use large volumes of text from the internet as training material to identify patterns. At the same time, another option, known as generative AI, allows these systems to create their texts and images in response to cues from external cues.
Artificial Intelligence technology marries computer power with human-like user interactions for maximum effectiveness.
However, such AI solutions often produce false or fraudulent material that appears credible But May Not Exist In Reality.
Conclusion
Siri and Google Assistant are two well-known smartphone-based AI helpers that frequently come under consumer scrutiny, prompting many people to compare them in terms of utility and superiority.
Deliberation on this matter must occur carefully to reach an informed verdict.
As stated, both possess many similarities. Both possess the ability to retrieve crucial facts with comparable levels of precision while responding quickly and appropriately when confronted by hot words from others.
Additionally, both devices allow you to control specific features on your smartphone and many compatible devices. Since iPhone controls can be more limited and setup often requires extra work, Google Assistant may perform better when used on iPhone.
But other aspects of its capabilities, like call screening and queue waiting, are where Google Assistant shines compared to Siri. These techniques give the Assistant its distinctive edge.
Generally, it's wise to utilize the Assistant preinstalled with your smartphone - Google Assistant for Android phones and Siri on iPhones, respectively.
Their capabilities differ somewhat when considering all aspects of your gadget's capabilities and should function flawlessly for you.
Should you switch phones regularly, there's one key consideration. Siri doesn't work on Android devices, while Google Assistant can work across brands more smoothly (with certain workarounds).
So while Siri won't switch with you across brands as much, Google Assistant might just keep up. Contact us as we are the best Artificial Intelligence Solutions Company.
