Original author(s) Initial release 2016 (2016) | Developer(s) Google Development status Active | |
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Available in English, German, Brazilian Portuguese, Hindi, Japanese Type Intelligent personal assistant | ||
Google Assistant is an intelligent personal assistant developed by Google and announced at Google I/O in May 2016. Unlike Google Now, Google Assistant can engage in two-way conversations.
Contents
Assistant initially debuted as part of Google's messaging app Allo, and its voice-activated speaker Google Home. After a period of exclusivity on the Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones, it began to be deployed on Android platforms in February 2017, including third-party smartphones and Android Wear.
History
Google Assistant was unveiled during its Google I/O keynote on May 18, 2016, as part of the unveiling of the Google Home smart speaker and new messaging app Allo; Google CEO Sundar Pichai explained that Assistant was designed to be a conversational and two-way experience, and "an ambient experience that extends across devices". Later that month, Google assigned Google Doodle leader Ryan Germick and hired former Pixar animator Emma Coats to develop "a little more of a personality."
For system-level integration outside of the Allo app and Google Home, Google Assistant was initially exclusive to the Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones. Starting March 2, Google started rolling out Assistant to non-Pixel devices running Android Marshmallow or Nougat, beginning in selected English-speaking markets and Germany. It is integrated in Android Wear 2.0, and will be included in future versions of Android Auto and Android TV.
Interaction
Google Assistant, in the nature and manner of Google Now, can pull information, check weather, etc. Unlike its brethren, however, it can engage in a two-way conversation, using Google's natural language processing algorithm. Search results are presented in card format that users can tap to open the page.
Reception
PC World's Mark Hachman gave a favorable review of Google Assistant, saying that it was a "step up on Cortana and Siri".
Latest News
Google announced recently that Google assistant would be available in all devices running on Android Marshmallow or Nougat.