Google will be shutting down Google Assistant by the end of 2025.
And you guessed it right! Gemini will replace the trusty Assistant on your Android devices. And iOS, too – if you’re among the 66.7K+ people who use it on their iPhones and Apple Devices, this is a sad time for you.
The Assistant, launched in 2016, was based on using natural language to interact with a machine- the same principle guiding Alexa and Siri. However, this revolutionary technology is being replaced by its natural evolution— AI.
According to Google’s Brian Marquardt, the senior director of product management of the Gemini app, “Millions of people have already made the switch from Google Assistant to Gemini, and they are telling us how helpful the new, AI-powered features are in their daily lives. So we want to update you on how we’ll bring this enhanced experience to as many people as possible.”
Over the upcoming months, Google will start upgrading mobile devices and follow up with devices that connect with your phone, like headphones, cars, and watches.
Following that, the changes will roll out to speakers, TV, and displays, until then, these systems will retain the Assistant.
This change is not surprising.
Gemini will roll out with a lot of features that the Assistant does not have. One of the best is its AI capabilities. Google promises free-flowing multimodal conversations and a research assistant to help you with your daily life.
Does this make our life easier? That answer will come with time.
As AI spreads into every nook and cranny of life at frightening speeds, we, as a collective, must ask: Is technology dictating every aspect of our lives?