Google has been in the AI game for a long time now, so it’s no surprise to see them making some seriously massive strides on the AI front at today’s Pixel event. Back at Google I/O in May of this year, Google unveiled Google Assistant, a brand new AI routine that’s built upon previous Google innovations like Google Now and Google Now on Tap. Google Assistant is treated much more like Amazon’s Alexa or Apple’s Siri in that it talks back to you and does its best to have an actual conversation with you. Previously Google Now has essentially just been a way to do a Google search with your voice, but Google’s new behind the scenes moves have been integral in making the massive changes we’re seeing with Assistant.
First up are the changes to voice quality, which actually uses a brand new method of modulating waveforms instead of just speaking phrases. This new technology is called WaveNet and is designed to make Assistant sound better and more clear than any previous Google voice before it. Google’s Sundar Pichai touted the new algorithm as a significant enhancement to Google’s accessibility for multiple regions around the world, and showed a clarity graph that pits Assistant right next to actual human voice clarity and understanding. Google also launched a brand new translation algorithm, specifically Chinese to English in the latest update of Google Translate, and it’s this new algorithm that’s being shown full force to the world in one of the most commonly translated pairs of languages in the world.
Google Assistant was first found in the launch of Allo in the past few weeks, Google’s new chat app that’s been adopted by millions of users since its launch. While Allo’s version of Google Assistant is extremely limited, the new Google Pixel phones will launch with the full version of Google Assistant on board and ready to go at a moment’s notice. Just as Google Now on Tap was launched by long-pressing the home button, Google Assistant will now launch instead, giving users an instant way to ask Google for anything, or to do anything they need. We’ll be giving you a more in-depth look at Google Assistant in the very near future, so be sure to stay here for more info as it happens!