Google Assistant due for overhaul using generative AI technologies

Google is reportedly prepping to offer ChatGPT and Bard-like experience with its Assistant. The company has been sparing no effort to be at the forefront of the generative AI space.

In line with this, Google launched the Bard AI chatbot earlier this year. Now, the folks at Axios have shed some light on the American tech giant's plan to give Google Assistant an awe-inspiring AI makeover.

To recap, the company unveiled a slew of Google AI features at the I/O 2023 event, and explained how it plans to implement AI in its products. Now, it looks like Google Assistant is set to get "supercharged" through the latest LLMs (large language models), similar to the tech that powers ChatGPT and Bard.

Google Assistant could become a little more conversational

In an email obtained by the outlet, Google tells its staff that a "portion of the team has already started working on this, beginning with mobile." So, it is safe to say that Google wants to transform its Assistant into a fully-fledged AI.

However, details about what this supercharged Assistant will offer are still scarce. According to a Tom's Guide report, integrating LLMs with the Assistant could enhance the overall conversational experience. The most notable difference here is that the Assistant is a verbal tool, while Bard works with text.

So, Google might update the Assistant to behave like Bard, allowing users to have the same back-and-forth without typing a single word. As a result, the Assistant will start understanding speech better than it does at the moment.

Just like Bard, the Assistant can search for answers on the web and translate languages to a certain point. So, it will be interesting to see how Google uses LLMs to further improve those capabilities. On the downside, Bard was recently found to have some security flaws that scammers can take advantage of.

Google could fix these issues while improving all AI-powered features in Assistant including call screening. During a Made by Google podcast in April, the company indicated that AI could start screening your calls. Regretablly, it is still unclear when we might see this work come to fruition.

Nevertheless, Google says it is reorganising teams to get the work done with "speed and focus." Lately, leading businesses and organisations have been jumping onto the generative AI bandwagon. For instance, Meta and Microsoft teamed up last month to unveil the latest AI model Llama 2.

Understandably, Google is sparing no effort to get this work started sooner rather than later. Also, the company can divulge some pieces of vital information about the project at Google I/O 2024 in May.

Generative AI services removed from App Store in China

In the meantime, a myriad of generative AI apps have been removed from Apple App Store in China. China is set to announce its new generative AI regulations in the coming weeks. These regulations will take effect on August 15.

Apple informed Chinese developers of their apps' removal by sending them notices. Apple sent a letter to OpenCat, a native ChatGPT client claiming the app was pulled from the App Store because it has "content that is illegal in China."

To recap, China announced a few measures to regulate generative AI services back in July. According to the rules, AI apps operating in China should acquire an administrative license, which is highlighted in Apple's removal notice.

"Based on our review, your app is associated with ChatGPT, which does not have requisite permits to operate in China," Apple said to OpenCat. Taking to Twitter, popular tech blogger @foxshuo shared some screenshots that show over 100 AI apps that have been removed from the App Store in China.

The country has been leaving no stone unturned in a bid to regulate the booming generative AI space while ChatGPT and other LLM-powered apps continue to take the world by storm.