Google Assistant Everywhere

Some of the earliest AI work we examined was in using 'Assistant' tech to augment typical work.  So when an employee messaged or wrote documents they would get a separate 'column' of searches, suggestions. links, supporting ideas.   The early capabilities made this annoying to many. But now we can do much better.  Seems Google is at it again.   Ans see the fundamental connection with the idea of a 'conversation',  a natural place.  Here just an example, much more at the link.

Building the Google Assistant on phones for everyone, everywhere
Manuel Bronstein,  Vice President of Product, Google Assistant, in Google Blog

In most countries around the world, phones are the primary way people interact with the Google Assistant. Whether you’re using an Android phone, an iPhone or a phone that’s running Android 9 Pie (Go edition) or KaiOS, the Assistant takes advantage of our phones’ capabilities so you can get help while you’re on the go.

This week, we’re at Mobile World Congress, announcing more phones with a dedicated Google Assistant button and sharing new ways people around the globe can use phones to get help from the Assistant where they want it.

Assistance where you want it, Bringing the Assistant to mobile apps

There are lots of ways the Assistant can help right within some of the apps we use every day. For example, since we launched the Assistant in Google Maps, drivers in the U.S. are getting hands-free help with directions, making calls and listening to music. We’re also seeing more than 15 times the number of queries asking for the Assistant’s help to send messages and read incoming texts out loud compared to before, when you could only use your voice for a few things. In the coming weeks, we’ll bring the Assistant to Google Maps in all Assistant phone languages.

Accessing the Google Assistant in Messages

Conversations are another place where the Google Assistant can lend a helping hand. Over the coming months for English users around the globe, Messages will start showing suggestions so you can get more information from the Google Assistant about movies, restaurants and weather. The Messages app uses on-device AI to offer suggestion chips relevant to your conversation, helping you easily find and share information as you chat one-on-one with your best friend, or in a group chat with your entire family. You can tap on the suggestion chip to learn more from your Assistant, and if you find the info is helpful, you can decide if you want to share that information back into your conversation. If you don’t share that information, the other person won’t see it.  ... "