Google dreams of making you pay for an AI TV assistant one day

Google plans to roll out its Gemini AI assistant to smart TVs in a more significant way this year, with the ultimate goal of getting users to buy into it.

Several TV manufacturers will announce new models equipped with Google TV with Gemini built-in at CES this week. These smart TVs will have remote microphones, allowing them to respond to “Hey Google” voice commands, and will use proximity sensors to detect the user’s distance from the TV, displaying artwork from afar and a painting information up close.

At the same time, Gemini will start handling some voice commands on TVs. This will allow for more nuanced movie and TV show requests, such as “suggest a movie similar to Jurassic Park, but suitable for young children.” The assistant will also provide longer answers for certain types of queries, accompanied by recommended YouTube videos.

None of these features will cost extra when they launch later this year. However, Shalini Govil-Pai, general manager and vice president of TV at Google, said the long-term plan was to turn Gemini into a service that would justify a subscription, even for TVs.

“For us, our main goal is to create enough value that you’re willing to pay for it,” she said.

Always-on TVs

Part of Google’s plan is to turn the TV into an information hub.

TVs shipping this year with proximity sensors will have a separate mode that activates when you approach. This information mode will display the weather, top news stories, recent photos and upcoming events, similar to what is found on Google’s Nest Hub smart displays.

As you move away from the TV, it will switch to Artwork mode, similar to the Ambiance mode found on current Google TV devices. If you move far enough away, the TV will turn off completely. TVs with these features will start shipping towards the end of this year.

Google is also working on an AI-powered news briefing feature on TVs. When you say “Hey Google, play my news briefing,” Gemini will generate summaries of the top news stories, accompanied by YouTube clips for each topic.

“We believe that television will fundamentally change the way information is consumed in the home,” Govil-Pai said.

Gemini on TV

At the same time, Google hopes that its Gemini AI will be more suited to hands-free voice interaction.

If you’re looking for a program to watch, for example, Gemini will be able to handle more complex queries, such as “Bollywood movies similar to Mission Impossible.” This is comparable to the generative AI search feature that Amazon launched on its Fire TV devices last year.

Gemini will also be able to answer certain general knowledge questions, such as “explain the solar system to a third grader”. In addition to text and audio responses, Gemini will provide a list of YouTube videos to explore. Govil-Pai believes that with these features, users will be able to search for information more collectively.

“You no longer need a keyboard or a touchscreen in front of you,” says Govil-Pai. “You can ask questions in a natural way, as we are used to. »

Synthesis

While these features alone are probably not enough to justify a paid subscription, they are part of a larger ecosystem that Google is looking to build around Gemini, some elements of which are already offered by subscription.

Last year, for example, Google began integrating Gemini into its Nest smart speakers in a limited preview mode, but only for Nest Aware subscribers. This allows Nest camera users to search for motion events with natural queries, like “what happened with the cookies on the counter?” “, and it also supports more complex information queries, like “what is the name of the song in the musical Wicked where they dance in the library? » Google does not specify whether Gemini will be accessible to non-paying users on Nest speakers in the future.

Google is also working to integrate some Nest interactions with TV. At CES, the company showed how the TV can turn on and display video when the Nest doorbell camera detects motion. Users can then send a response to the door via voice commands by saying “Hey Google.” Looking to the future, one can easily imagine some sort of Gemini home subscription that ties all of these together.

That said, this all seems a bit like a solution in search of a problem. When I talk with readers about their concerns about streaming services, they’re mainly worried about where to watch their favorite shows while rationalizing unnecessary subscriptions. Being able to ask your TV for vacation ideas or space facts isn’t a priority.

Google is betting that we need to rethink how we use TVs.

“People are not used to this yet, so it will take some time for them to adapt,” concluded Govil-Pai, “but the use cases are so compelling that I believe it is this way that things will start to be consumed within a year or two. »