I read the title of this and thought - yes - at last - Google are going to be integrating LLM capabilities with Google Assistant to make it really really useful instead of occasionally useful with a side helping of frustration at how little it understands.
Instead this seems to be a list of useful features that are being taken away!
I'm disappointed. Google employ some of the best AI/ML engineers in the world and they are making assistant worse rather than making it a showcase for what LLMs can do.
The problem is that the current crop of google assistant devices (excluding current and upcoming gen cell phones) are woefully underpowered for local models, meaning that supporting the existing install base will be expensive.
I expect that a new assistant like product (Google Bard Home or something) will be announced and existing Assistant/Home devices will be deprecated.
Instead this seems to be a list of useful features that are being taken away!
I'm disappointed. Google employ some of the best AI/ML engineers in the world and they are making assistant worse rather than making it a showcase for what LLMs can do.