Google Bard Assistant: The Digital Assistant You've Always Wanted

The focus of Google's October event was to showcase new Pixel hardware, but the impact of generative AI was evident throughout the entire event. Google even took this opportunity to announce a change to its overlooked voice assistant. In the coming months, Google Assistant will be integrated with Bard, a generative AI. This means that Google Assistant will become smarter, although the specific launch date is still unclear.

The current version of the assistant performs well for simple tasks such as setting timers or controlling smart home devices. However, the system struggles with complex queries. Typically, specific query formats are required for assistants and similar products, and any changes can cause the assistant to fail in processing correctly. Nevertheless, generative AI, such as Bard, excels in understanding natural language.

Google demonstrated how Bard assistant understands the context of your input, extracting data from applications like Gmail and Calendar. It also has built-in Bard generation capabilities, allowing you to create lists, recommend vacation activities, and more—all within Google Assistant. In some ways, this feels like a natural evolution of Bard, which has so far been limited to text and image inputs.

A few years ago, voice assistants like Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant were considered the next big trend. Many companies invested heavily in these systems, but it proved difficult to profit from them. Amazon has downsized its Alexa team due to significant losses. While Google employees have not publicly commented on the operational costs of the assistant, the company has placed assistant development in a secondary position. This is a common occurrence in companies like Google: if a project is deemed unlikely to provide immediate benefits, it is often overlooked.

The announcement of Bard's integration into the assistant may mark a turning point, but Google's plans remain unclear. All the demos showcased at the event used the mobile version of the assistant, which is a core feature of Pixel phones and their Tensor AI chip. So, will Google's smart speakers receive the integrated Bard assistant? Or will this experience be limited to phones?

We will have to wait for more details. Google has stated that a select group of users will be given the opportunity to participate in testing. Additionally, users of the new Pixel phones will receive the option to use the integrated Bard assistant. Initially, Google may intend to restrict the new assistant to its own hardware. Previously, assistant feature updates were typically launched first on Pixel phones, but this change is the biggest since the assistant's release in 2016.