Gemini For Home Is Google's Biggest Smart Home Play In Years

Google announced Gemini for Home, a new AI-powered voice assistant that will replace Google Assistant on Nest smart speakers and displays starting in October. Powered by Gemini's advanced reasoning and conversational capabilities, it promises more natural interactions, complex task handling, and features like Gemini Live for back-and-forth conversations. The Verge reports: According to a blog post by Anish Kattukaran, chief product officer of Google Home and Nest, using Gemini for Home will 'feel fundamentally new.' He says the new voice assistant leverages the 'advanced reasoning, inference and search capabilities' of Google's AI models, along with adaptations for the home that allow for more natural interactions to complete more complex tasks. In short, it should be an assistant that can better understand context, nuance, and intention -- a complete change from its predecessor.

For example, Kattukaran says Gemini for Home can accurately respond to requests like 'turn off the lights everywhere except my bedroom,' 'play that song from this year's summer blockbuster about race cars,' or 'set a timer for perfectly blanched broccoli.' It will also create lists, calendar entries, and reminders more easily than before, he says.

Another big upgrade is that Gemini Live will be part of Gemini for Home, bringing more conversational back-and-forth voice interactions to Google Home without needing to repeatedly say 'Hey Google.' Kattukaran says this will allow for more detailed and personalized help -- from cooking ('I have spinach, eggs, cream cheese, and smoked salmon in the fridge. Help me make a delicious meal') to brainstorming how to buy a new car or figuring out how to fix your dishwasher, as well as more creative tasks like generating bedtime stories. Google hasn't announced pricing for the paid tier of Gemini for Home, but Gemini Live, with its more advanced capabilities, is a likely candidate for a premium plan.

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