It all started with an “aha!” moment. When Google announced their work on introducing a new generative artificial intelligence in the form of a chatbot as a replacement for Google Assistant, I was skeptical. Installing the new standalone Gemini app on my smartphone and allowing it to take over the role of an assistant only confirmed my belief that this was a direction we shouldn’t be heading in.
I don’t want to suggest that Google Assistant in its current form is perfect – far from it! Over the years, we’ve discussed its limitations and ways it can be improved. However, lately, it seems like Google is neglecting Assistant in favor of this new, self-promoted feature.
But despite its flaws, Assistant knew what it was about. It was a purposeful service, and Google has been building and ensuring its availability everywhere.
With the new chatbot named Bard (formerly known as Gemini) from Google, it seems like they don’t really know what they want to achieve (besides obvious business benefits). After using Gemini as a virtual assistant on my Pixel 8 Pro smartphone for a few days, I question how Google thought this was a good idea.
I didn’t have that “aha!” moment I was hoping for. But I realized that the problem with Gemini as a replacement for Google Assistant is that Google forgot why having an assistant on a phone matters and what we really need from such a service.
Gemini is a chatbot based on generative artificial intelligence. It has the ability to create, but its capabilities mainly revolve around generating texts, images, and summarizing large amounts of existing information. What sets it apart is its usefulness (theoretically, for some people).
But how does that translate into being an Android assistant? I don’t see the connection between these two functions. The more time I spent with Gemini, the more evident this difference became.
Gemini’s features are unnecessary in the role of a phone assistant. The main task of an assistant is to help with simple tasks, control applications and devices, provide answers, and deliver information. That’s what we expect from an assistant on Android.
Therefore, replacing Google Assistant with Gemini feels inappropriate. It’s like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. It’s an adaptation of a chatbot that is underdeveloped and unsuitable for this context.
Gemini’s generative features are irrelevant in the context of a phone assistant, especially when they are added to all possible apps and services, including Google services.
Furthermore, most importantly, the standard intelligence of the assistant that we rely on is not available in Gemini.
In conclusion, using Gemini as a replacement for Google Assistant feels like forcing an ill-fitting element. It resembles an underdeveloped chatbot rather than a phone assistant, something that is currently not prepared for this context. The more time you spend using Gemini, the more apparent this mismatch becomes.
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The source of the article is from the blog exofeed.nl