Maria Diaz/ZDNET
ZDNET's key takeaways
Gemini is replacing Google Assistant in Google Home.
The new, more personalized assistant supports natural conversations and maintains context.
Early access for Gemini at Home starts in October.
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Amid the launch news of Made by Google phones and other devices, Google is also upgrading its Assistant for smart home users. Gemini for Home will replace Google Assistant for Google Home customers, enabling more natural, informative, and efficient conversations for users.
Think of Gemini for Home as if ChatGPT became your smart home assistant. Instead of an "If this, then that" behavior or following simple commands one at a time, Gemini will be able to have longer, more natural conversations with you, letting you give it more complex prompts than simply "Turn on the living room lamp."
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"Gemini for Home uses the advanced reasoning, inference, and search capabilities of our most capable models, making it both more powerful and easier to use than Google Assistant," wrote Anish Kattukaran, Google Home's chief product officer, in a blog post. "You still say, 'Hey Google' to get started, but your interactions will feel fundamentally new. Gemini will understand the context and get it done, and we're replacing rigid commands so you can use more nuanced or complex requests, too."
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