Google’s Assistant AI Plays Larger Role as Predictive Tech

Last week Google revealed its vision for home AI at a Made By Google event. Google sees its smart home AI becoming anticipatory in a big way.

Google hardware chief Rick Osterloh announced the rebranding on stage:

“Over the past year, we’ve brought the Nest and Google teams together to deliver on our vision of the helpful home. And today we’re further simplifying things, bringing all these products together under the Nest name. As a single team, and a single product family, we’re following a set of guiding principles that reflect our commitment to putting people first.”

Moving the music you listen to from room to room as you make your way through the house is just one of the features. Some AI will follow the sound of your footsteps and some will use the Nest camera to keep track of you.

An article written by Peter Newman for businessinsider.com breaks down Google’s announcement of AI-powered systems like Google Assistant as the heart of this strategy, tying together a range of tools and services from first- and third-party brands to create new means of controlling the home and to allow Google to automate and anticipate the wants and needs of consumers at home.

The Google Nest Mini is a speaker that can go anywhere in the home.

The new Nest Mini. The miniature smart speaker is a revamped version of Google’s bestselling smart speaker, the Google Home Mini, with the same look, feel and price ($49). Google added wall-mounting and improved audio output, another microphone and a machine-learning chip to make the device better interpret voice commands.

The Nest Wifi system. An update to its Google Wifi products, the system adds the basics of a smart speaker into the “Points” that it uses to extend the mesh system’s range. The devices sit solo on a side table, bookshelf, or dresser to allow users to speak to them and issue commands or ask questions of Google Assistant. Analysts predicted Amazon might make such a move after buying eero, because it improves connectivity and lets consumers use a variety of Google services while enabling easier access to its voice assistant.

The new camera is a Nest Camera, integrating with Nest’s platform, so it can tap into video door bells and security cameras, but can also be used for video calling. The Nest Hub Max also includes local facial recognition to better personalize the device. Another feature is the camera will allow you to use gestures to communicate some of your wants to the assistant AI.

The changes are a sign of Google’s changing concept of a smart home, making it more useful. According to fool.com:

The “helpful home” represents an evolution of Google’s smart-home strategy, hoping to make the devices more proactively helpful with Google Assistant.

read more at businessinsider.com