After a recent preview, Google’s artificial intelligence assistant Gemini Live is now available to all Android users for free. Initially, Gemini Live was reserved for those who subscribed to the Gemini Advanced plan for $20 per month, but now the voice assistant is available to anyone who downloads the Gemini app. However, it is currently only available in English.
For those with one of Google’s latest devices, such as the Pixel 9 or Pixel 9 Pro, accessing Gemini Live is easy: Just launch the Gemini app and select the Live icon in the lower right corner of the screen. Gemini Live offers ten sounds to choose from, and you can choose your favorite from a list of sounds inspired by stars and constellations.
Gemini Live works similarly to Google Assistant or Alexa. Artificial intelligence can understand informal language and enable more human-like interactions during conversations. For example, it can make hypotheses, help you brainstorm ideas, and handle your requests by multitasking while the conversation is ongoing. Voice options make the experience more human and more emotionally expressive than previous voice standards.
Live is now available in English on the Android app for all Gemini users. We can’t wait for you to try it. https://t.co/jev4pnuZJ0September 30, 2024
Gemini protagonist
The launch of Gemini Live comes as Google faces increasing competition, including ChatGPT’s advanced voice mode and Microsoft’s recently revamped voice-enabled AI Copilot.
Like Microsoft, Google obviously hopes that offering Gemini Live for free will help it stand out from the competition. Integration with the Android operating system and Google device ecosystem may prove to be an advantage. However, Google also has to deal with Apple’s updates to Siri, which are part of the company’s new Apple Intelligence suite of features that it will begin rolling out soon.
If you’re frustrated by the limitations of your current voice assistants, Gemini Live looks like a significant upgrade. It remains to be seen how Gemini Live will compete against the many new competitors.
Clearly, Google wants Gemini to be more than just a Google Assistant. Improving Gemini’s role in people’s daily lives, especially on mobile devices, is a strategy the company hopes to win in the current competition among artificial intelligence assistants.
