Welcome back to the week in Playback! After a brief hiatus due to medical issues regarding yours truly (don’t worry, they’re mostly resolved), we’re diving right back into our regularly scheduled weekly recap of some of the biggest news in the custom integration space. And on that note: let’s have a chat about Google’s AI assistant: Gemini.
Google’s Aspirations for Its Gemini AI Assistant
Among the upper echelons of big-tech-backed AI, Gemini might not get as much love or screen time as say ChatGPT, but for integrators, Gemini might just be one of the biggest AI assistants you’ll want to keep an eye on.
It’s all to do with how Google is opting to use its AI assistant over its competitors. While Google wants to do A LOT with Gemini, one area of daily living the company has seen big potential for AI has been in the home. Not just an average home, however, the smart home.
Since 2023 (around the time Google unveiled Gemini), the company has seen great potential in leveraging AI to improve interactions on its Home platform. Areas of improvement Google sees include:
- More contextual interactions that allow the Home platform to execute bespoke commands based on elements such as ‘recognizing’ users, locations and patterns of behavior.
- Zero-script automation that allows users to ‘program’ the AI through voice requests and prompts, thereby removing the need for advanced coding knowledge.
How That Translates to the Pro-Channel Smart Home ‘Arms Race’
But it’s not just Google that sees this potential. In the pro-space we have Josh.ai who have been running with the concept of using AI and machine learning to improve smart home interactions for a lot longer than Google, and now, more recently, we’ve seen Nice ramp up their game with the introduction of their AI assistant Mylo.
Just remember though that in many areas of business and work, AI is broadly being used as a means of raising the skill floor.
Yes, at the top end, it can do some incredible things, but it’s worth considering that with one of these three companies being a more consumer-focused product, how close is that injection of AI going to bring it to some of the functionalities of some pro-solutions?
To be clear, this is IF Google can get Gemini to do all that it wants to as an AI assistant. For one, we’re still waiting on a lot of the promises that have been made regarding AI’s capabilities by the Mag 7, and for two, Google has had a bit of a history of over promising and then tweaking the marketing.
Why Integrator’s Should Keep an Eye on Google’s Gemini for Home Play
For the time being, it’s food for thought for both integrators and manufacturers who have any interest in what AI can do to make their systems work that much better for clients. If AI is all about democratizing technology and integrators are often viewed as gatekeepers in this regard, how might that shift the dynamic on projects? Will it even?
Personally, if anything, I think Google’s high profile shot at boosting the capabilities of the smart home is just going to draw more attention to the raw potential of an AI assistant in that space.
If they miss: that’s just an opening for the likes of pro-channel players to fill.
If they hit: it will definitely raise expectations across the board, and anyone who isn’t able to provide these simpler, more intuitive systems, might get left in the dust.
The Full Week in Playback
If you’re interested in learning more about what Google did with Gemini this week, a link to our full article will be provided below, as well as some other top news pulled from all corners of the AV and smart home industries.
- Gemini for Home is Finally Here. Here’s Why Integrators Should Take Notice
- Smart Home DIY: Nearly a Third of Homeowners Report Turning to Pros after First Attempts
- MOON 371 by Simaudio Wraps Performance Around Luxurious Design
- Brooklyn’s Resolution AV Devastated by Five-Alarm Brooklyn Fire
- 20 Audio Streaming Devices for Modern Listening Fun
