Google made a major announcement yesterday, streamlining all of its AI efforts under a single name — Gemini. This means that Google’s AI chatbot, formerly known as Bard, is now referred to as Gemini, and the tech giant has also introduced its standalone Android app.
But do you recall Google’s announcement last year regarding its plan to imbue Android’s default Assistant with AI capabilities under the service named “Assistant with Bard”? With Bard now rebranded, there might be uncertainty about the fate of the Assistant’s AI services.
In response to this change, Google clarified to Android Authority that Gemini on Android is the experience that Assistant with Bard was meant to provide.
“The vision we shared in October remains the same — to build a true AI assistant that is conversational, multimodal, and helpful,” said a Google spokesperson.
“Now, with the incredible capabilities of Gemini, we can deliver on that vision in an even more profound and meaningful way. The technology allows us to push past the limits of what we could do before (timers, alarms, weather) to help you supercharge your ideas and collaborate directly with Google AI on your phone,” the spokesperson added.
In essence, the functionalities envisioned for “Assistant with Bard” are now fully integrated into Gemini for Android.
Google has already taken the initial steps towards this approach, as Gemini becomes the default Assistant on your Android after downloading the app from the Play Store. You can still switch back to the old Assistant in the settings if you prefer.
But Google is confident in Gemini powering the AI capabilities of Assistant going forward. This means that the “Assistant with Bard” name is now retired for good.
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