Apple is encountering substantial backlash due to its sluggish advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), especially as Google gears up to introduce its Gemini for Home initiative, anticipated to significantly boost its smart home functionalities. This advancement presents a hurdle for Apple’s Siri, which is increasingly viewed as trailing behind more sophisticated generative AI chatbots in executing smartphone tasks.
### Gemini for Home
Google has recently launched its Gemini for Home, a fresh platform intended to take the place of Google Assistant in smart home gadgets. This new system is claimed to be “more robust and simpler to utilize,” harnessing advanced reasoning, inference, and search functionalities from Google’s latest AI models. While the activation phrase “Hey Google” stays the same, the emphasis has transitioned from strict command structures to embracing more subtle and intricate requests.
For example, users will have the capability to issue commands like “turn off the lights everywhere except my bedroom” or “play that track from this year’s summer blockbuster about race cars.” Furthermore, Gemini for Home will roll out the functionality to combine multiple commands, a feature that Apple has long assured but has not yet fulfilled. Users could say, “Dim the lights, and set the temperature to 72 degrees,” illustrating a more cohesive and intelligent interaction with their smart home devices.
Google aims to reshape the smart home experience by merging traditional smart home functionalities with a more intelligent assistant. Illustrative of the new possibilities are:
– “Add the ingredients to create an authentic Italian lasagna to my shopping list.”
– “Set a timer for perfectly blanched broccoli.”
– “I have spinach, eggs, cream cheese, and smoked salmon in the fridge. Assist me in preparing a delicious meal.”
### Rollout Begins October 1
The rollout of Gemini for Home is scheduled to commence on October 1, replacing Google Assistant on both current and new smart speakers and displays. Google has revealed that an early access program will begin next month, enabling users to experience the new features firsthand.
As Google enhances its AI capabilities in the smart home domain, Apple must respond effectively to preserve its competitive advantage, particularly as Siri’s existing limitations become increasingly evident in relation to new technologies.
