New Google Assistant: faster

At Google they don't sit idly by. That's why they get attention year after year at their developer conference, the well-known Google I/O. During this May 7th, its latest edition took place, an appointment in which they talked about various aspects of the Android operating system and some of the services that are provided in it. Notable among them are the novelties around Google Assistant A tool that will evolve throughout this year to become faster and more useful for all kinds of users.

Google engineers have created new models of language understanding and text transcription. In this way they have managed to speed up the current system of the Google Assistant by up to 10 times, which already stands out for its immediacy. All this managing to reduce 100 GB of models hosted in the cloud in a space of 0.5 GB to be able to take it to the terminal. Advances that translate into a more effective understanding, but also faster. Which, in turn, opens the door to new forms of interaction with this assistant.

Multitask across multiple applications

That the logical processes of the Google Assistant occur within the terminal allows not only the recognition of our words to be practically instantaneous, but also that it can be used through different applications. And, of course, without the need for an Internet connection.But the most striking thing is that we will no longer need to launch commands one by one headed by the command “OK Google”

Thus, in the presentation we were able to see a true string of orders followed such as consulting the calendar, writing an email, finding a photo or search for an address continuously. With a much more natural conversation and without pauses to enunciate the aforementioned command with which we have woken up this assistant up to now.

Duplex, the auto-completion of the Google Assistant

Along with speed, other improvements have also been introduced. Specifically, in the presentation, the Duplex system was shown on the web. It consists of taking advantage of user information already handled by the Google Assistant to save time when auto-complete data on a web page.

The example shown is that of renting a vehicle.With the new version of the Google Assistant, and with data from our next trip such as a boarding pass in the Gmail email, it is possible to browse a car rental web page and allow this tool is in charge of completing tasks such as filling in the user data, the information on the date and location of the rental (from the boarding pass) and other points that only take away our time.

Until now, this function was available on Android and iOS in the United States for the automatic reservation of tables in restaurants by phone, for example. Now the technology extends to the web, in writing, for many other services. All you have to do is ask the Google Assistant to “book me a car for my next trip”, and it will do all the dirty work. Of course, at the moment it will only be available in English-speaking countries at the end of this year.

A more personal assistant

In the coming months the Google Assistant will also become more convenient to use. More natural. More human. And it is that he will understand references like“mother's house”, “here”, or “my sister's”, without ending up doing literal searches on the web . Thanks to the personal information he has, he will be able to know what personal relationships we have or where the places we refer to are located. Of course, Google affirms that we continue to have all the power over the personal information that it has, being able to configure to what extent its assistant manages this data.

In addition, thanks to this better understanding of the user, it will also propose better and more personalized suggestions around recipes, events and podcasts Something that Google calls “picks for you” or collected for you, in Spanish.Suggestions that are always marked with the source data from which they come. So, if you're presented with a Portuguese dish, it's very likely that the Google Assistant will flag that recipe with a notice that you've liked or tried a dish from that cuisine.

A new driving style

Until now Android Auto has met many of the needs of drivers with Android phones, always relying on the Google Assistant to perform tasks with a simple voice command. Without taking his eyes off the road. Well, soon the Google Assistant will have its own particular driving mode, too focused on avoiding distractions behind the wheel

Simply say something like “OK Google, let's drive” to open a new driving mode interface. This reduces visible features to practical items like calendar appointments, frequent contacts, and place suggestions.It also allows us to interact with the Google Assistant to pick up the phone, send messages or request directions directly by voice.

And that's not all. The Google Assistant will also be able to remotely control certain connected vehicles. Issues such as changing the temperature, checking the tank or confirming that the vehicle doors are indeed closed will be possible directly from the assistant. Of course, this will also come to a limited extent in vehicles with the Blue Link system from Hyundai and Mercedes Me Connect from Mercedes-Benz by the end of the year

No more “OK Google, turn off the alarm”

The closing part of the presentation of the Google Assistant has been carried out by a surprising announcement. A change that many users seemed to be looking forward to based on the applause received after the announcement: the alarms, alarm clocks and notifications of the Google Assistant, whether on the mobile or smart speakers, can be stopped with a simple "stop".What we intuit that in Spanish will be a “para” or “stop”

Something that leaves behind the struggle that users have suffered up to now to stop these ads. And it is that you have to use the command “OK Google, stop the alarm” to silence it. Much more complex and tiring, especially when it rings very early in the morning Of course, although the function is already available, it can only be used by speech users English at the moment.

Most of the features seen at Google I/O will be coming to the Google Assistant later this year. However, it seems that Spanish-speaking users will have to wait a little longer But we will be very attentive to the possibilities that this new, more agile and capable version of the Assistant opens up of Google.