Google promised it had updates to share about Assistant, the search giant's powerful artificial intelligence, and today it's providing details. In addition to bringing Assistant to an even larger global audience, Google is announcing the availability of routines, location-based reminders, and more, arriving in the next week.
With routines, which Google unveiled at last year's Pixel event, Assistant will be capable of performing more complex tasks. As an example, you can say, "Ok Google, let's go home," and Assistant will give you commuting information, send a message to a loved one, and start playing your favorite podcast. Users will be able to set multiple routines to their liking, making Google's technology more dynamic and powerful.
Google already makes it easy to set location-based reminders using Assistant on your phone. Now, the company is bringing the same feature to Google Home. You can say, "Ok Google, remind me to buy flour at the grocery store." Once you're there, a reminder will appear on your phone. It's that simple.
Google is also announcing an Assistant Mobile OEM program, which will allow companies to integrate Google's AI with specific features. According to Google, it has been working with manufacturers for the past year to support more use-cases for Assistant, with deeper integration in devices from Sony, LG, and Xiaomi. Soon, devices from these companies will offer custom integrations consumers won't be able to find anywhere else.
In addition to that, Google is launching the Assistant Carrier program, which will allow Assistant to provide users with important carrier information, such as plan details, customer support, and more. Google said Sprint, Koodo, Telus, and Vodafone are already working on integration with Assistant, with more carrier support to come.
Finally, Google said Assistant will support more than 30 languages by the end of the year, which the search giant claims accounts for 90-percent of Android phones across the globe. In the next few months, Assistant will come to Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, and Swedish Android phones and iPhones. Assistant will also feature multilingual support later this year.
Google Assistant has evolved into an incredibly powerful tool over the past several months, and these updates will only further cement Google's lead in the AI space.
