Today, Google launched Gemini Live, a mobile interactive experience that allows you to have a free-flowing conversation with Gemini artificial intelligence.
Want to think about potential jobs that match your skills or education? Start Gemini Live and ask about them. You can even interrupt during the answer to elaborate on a point, or stop the conversation and come back to it later. It’s like having an assistant in your pocket to bounce new ideas off of or practice with before an important conversation.
This is what Cissy Xiao, vice president and general manager of Gemini Experiences and Google Assistant, writes.
Gemini Live is also available in hands-free mode: you can continue a conversation with the Gemini app in the background or when your phone is locked, so you can have a conversation on the go, just like you would during a regular phone call. Gemini Live is launching today in English for Gemini Advanced subscribers on Android phones and will be expanded to iOS and other languages in the coming weeks.
To make conversations with Gemini even more natural, Google is introducing 10 new voices to choose from so you can find the tone and style that best suits your needs.
Even more apps
By using information from websites and combining it with the Google apps and tools you already use, Gemini can help you complete any task. Unlike other assistants, you don’t have to switch between different apps and services to do this.
In the coming weeks, Google will be launching new extensions (functionality may vary depending on subscription, Google Workspace extension must be enabled, availability may vary by country), including Keep, Tasks, Utilities, and advanced features on YouTube Music. Let’s say you’re getting ready for dinner: ask Gemini to find a lasagna recipe your friend sent you in Gmail and add the ingredients to your Keep shopping list. Since your guests are friends from your college days, ask Gemini to “make a playlist of songs that remind you of the late 90s.” Without further ado, Gemini will understand your request and fulfill it.
And with the Calendar extension coming soon, you’ll be able to take a picture of a farmers’ market poster and ask Gemini if you’re free that day, and even set a reminder to buy blueberries when you go.
Or you can take a picture of a concert poster and ask Gemini if you’re free that day, and set a reminder to buy tickets.
Extending Gemini’s capabilities on the Android platform
Gemini is fully integrated into the Android user experience, providing more context-sensitive features that are only available on Android. Gemini offers help exactly when you need it, no matter what you’re doing on your Android smartphone (feature available on certain devices, languages, and in select countries). Simply hold down the power button or say “Hey Google” and Gemini will appear, ready to help (some devices use an alternative activation method, such as swiping from the bottom to the top of the screen. You need to set up the “Hey Google” command).
You can tap on the “Ask about this screen” prompt to get help with what’s on the screen, or if you’re using YouTube, ask a question about what you’re watching. Let’s say you’re preparing for a trip abroad and you’ve just watched a travel blog – click “Ask about this video” and ask for a list of all the restaurants mentioned in the video and add them to Google Maps.
Because Gemini has deep integration with Android, it can do more than just read the screen: it can interact with many of the apps you already use. For example, you can drag and drop images generated by Gemini directly into apps like Gmail and Google Messages.
Rethinking the useful assistant
The Gemini app is less than a year old, and it can already save you time by helping you update your shopping lists, compose emails, or even practice with you for an upcoming job interview.
Artificial intelligence opens up powerful new opportunities, but it also creates new challenges. Paradoxically, the use of large language models that are better at interpreting natural language and performing complex tasks often means that simple tasks take longer. And while generative artificial intelligence is flexible enough to perform a wide range of tasks, it can sometimes behave unpredictably or provide inaccurate information.
To address this, we’ve added new models, such as Gemini 1.5 Flash, that are faster and provide better answers. Over the coming months, we will continue to focus on speed and quality and launch deeper integration with Google Home, Phone, and Messages.
“Today, we’ve reached a tipping point where we believe the usefulness of an AI-powered assistant far outweighs its drawbacks; and we’re excited for you to try Gemini as the default assistant on Google Pixel 9. We’re just beginning to unlock all the possibilities that an AI-powered assistant can bring, and just like the Pixel phones, Gemini will only get better,” said the Google executive.