Meanwhile, Google is not alone in its pursuit of enhancing AI-powered virtual assistants.
Google is gearing up for a significant upgrade to its virtual personal assistant, Google Assistant, designed to help users perform simple tasks on their smartphones. The company plans to upgrade the product using advanced generative AI technology to improve its capabilities. According to an internal email seen by Axios, Google aims to develop a “supercharged” version of the assistant powered by the latest large language models (LLM) similar to ChatGPT and Bard chatbots.
The technology would enable the virtual assistant to offer more sophisticated and enhanced responses, making user interactions more engaging and natural. Although specific features are yet to be revealed, the focus is on delivering high-quality user experiences. By tapping into LLM technology, the assistant could answer questions based on information gathered from the web, providing more comprehensive and accurate responses.
“Hundreds of millions of people use the assistant every month and we’re committed to giving them high-quality experiences. We’re excited to explore how LLMs can help us supercharge assistant and make it even better,” Google spokesperson Jennifer Rodstrom said in a statement to The Verge.
Google to Restructure Its Assistant Team
The email sent by Google’s VP Peeyush Ranjan and Product Director Duke Dukellis on July 31 revealed that the company had begun developing the new Google Assistant in mobile version. As part of the upgrade, the company, owned by American multinational technology conglomerate Alphabet, is restructuring its assistant team.
While the exact number of employees affected remains unclear, according to Axios, Google has laid off “dozens” of workers. Although it is unclear when Google will complete the transformation, Ranjan and Dukellis believe the virtual assistant has the potential to become successful:
“We remain deeply committed to the Assistant, and we are optimistic about its bright future ahead.”
Amazon Plans to Enhance Alexa
Meanwhile, Google is not alone in its pursuit of enhancing AI-powered virtual assistants. Other technology-focused firms, such as Amazon, are also investing in AI-powered upgrades for its virtual assistant Alexa.
According to reports by Axios, Amazon is anticipating that generative AI will breathe new life into its middle-aged Alexa voice assistant. The tech giant views the AI boom as an opportunity to revitalize the over half a billion Alexa-enabled devices, transforming them into advanced voice-enabled interfaces akin to ChatGPT and beyond. This move aims to provide users with fresh and relevant experiences while leveraging the potential of generative AI technology.
The adoption of generative AI in Assistants marks a significant departure from the current state of virtual assistants. Traditional virtual assistant tools like Apple‘s Siri and Amazon’s Alexa primarily operate on rule-based systems, providing straightforward responses to specific commands or queries. In contrast, generative AI models like LLMs can generate language and carry on more dynamic conversations with users, leading to more personalized interactions.
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