The future of Google Assistant has been uncertain for over a year. Once a flagship feature for Google, it played a crucial role in the company's mobile and smart home strategies. Years ago, Google even distributed Home Mini speakers for free to expand its ecosystem.

However, ahead of the upcoming Made by Google 2024 event, Google has confirmed that Assistant will remain a key part of its Home/Nest ecosystem.

Both Google Assistant and Alexa saw increased usage during the pandemic as people spent more time at home. Recently, though, both companies have slowed their development efforts. Despite some claims that the smart home market is declining, many Americans still own smart home devices. The vision of a fully automated home ecosystem remains unfulfilled due to high costs and fragmented device ecosystems.

Smart assistants have faced their own challenges. Samsung's Bixby and Microsoft's Cortana have been discontinued, and even Apple's Siri has seen less promotion. The rise of generative AI platforms like ChatGPT has made older smart assistants seem outdated.

Earlier this year, Google allowed beta users to make its GenAI platform, Gemini, the default assistant on Pixel devices. While Gemini isn't ready to replace Assistant entirely, its days on Android may be limited. For now, Assistant will continue to be part of Google's Home ecosystem, supported by Gemini models.

Gemini's role in enhancing Assistant is still unclear, but it is expected to improve natural language processing. Google highlights that users will be able to ask questions in a more conversational manner. For example, users can ask, "Is Pluto a planet?" and follow up with, "Could they change their minds again?" This feature will be available to Nest Aware subscribers later this year as part of a public preview.

Other potential uses for Gemini include summarizing information, a key feature in Google's generative AI efforts. Whether Google will rebrand Assistant as Gemini remains to be seen. Apple recently updated Siri with AI-powered features, and Google seems ready to do the same for its smart home devices.