Report: Google Assistant is Being Revamped With Generative AI Technology

Google is reportedly working on a new version of its Google Assistant that uses the same large language model (LLM) technology as ChatGPT or Google Bard. Voice-based assistants like Alexa, Google Assistant, and Microsoft’s soon-to-be-retired Cortana have been left off the sidelines of this new generative AI revolution, but Google intends to change that with an internal reorg.

In an internal email obtained by Axios, Peeyush Ranjan, GM and VP of Google Pay and Next Billion Users, and Duke Dukellis, Director of Product Management explained that Google should now prioritize work to address “people’s strong desire for assistive, conversational technology that can improve their lives.” The execs also said that work on a revamped Assistant for mobile devices has already started within the company.

“As a team, we need to focus on delivering high-quality, critical product experiences for our users. We’ve also seen 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 execs wrote in the email.

As a result of this new vision for Google Assistant, Google will be reorganizing its internal teams and eliminating a small number of roles. According to Axios, dozens of jobs will be impacted among the thousands of employees working on the Assistant.

In recent months, Google scaled down its investments in Google Assistant-powered appliances. The company dropped support for Assistant-powered smart displays from Lenovo, LG, and JBL, and we also haven’t seen new Google Nest speakers or smart displays since the release of the 2nd gen Nest Hub back in 2021.

“We remain deeply committed to Assistant and we are optimistic about its bright future ahead,” the two Google execs said in the internal email. With Google getting ready to revamp its AI assistant, Amazon is also expected to bring new generative AI features to Alexa.

Speaking with Axios last week, Dave Limp, Amazon’s Senior Vice President of devices said that “generative AI is something we’ve been working on for a while, and it has huge potential — especially in the home.” Amazon has already started teasing a hardware event on September 20, and it will be interesting to see if the company discusses its plans for bringing generative AI into the home on this occasion.