Google Gemini is the Pixel 9’s default assistant

Tuesday’s Made by Google event cemented Gemini’s place as the Pixel’s default assistant. The company had previously allowed users to opt in to replace Google Assistant with the generative AI platform, and now the newly announced Pixel 9 phones are the first devices to ship that way by default.

Google notes that if users are unsatisfied with a hallucination-prone platform that might not yet be fully baked, they can roll their new handset back to what the company has taken to calling its “legacy assistant.” The title isn’t entirely apt, however. Google recently reconfirmed that Assistant will live on as part of its Nest/Home operations.

That side of Google’s hardware division recently received its own shot in the arm, courtesy of an overdue update to the Nest Learning Thermostat, the Chromecast-replacing Google TV Streamer and new AI capabilities under the hood.

Gemini currently has both the higher ceiling and the lower floor. The last few generations of neural networks have proven to be extremely impressive for a wide range of tasks, from natural language conversations to image generation. The black-box model is still prone to hiccups, however, leading some to question whether the current hype cycle has made companies like Google overly aggressive in rolling out their solutions.

Google has already showcased a number of extremely impressive AI tools, particularly on the imaging side, including features like Magic Eraser and the new Add Me editing feature. The Pixel 9’s arrival marks additional AI features, including the Gemini 1.5 Pro-powered Live, which brings more human-like conversations to the handset.

Following the new Pixels’ arrival, Google is no doubt eyeing a broader Android-wide Gemini assistant. That adoption will come down to Google’s update timeframe and the device-makers themselves. Some, like Samsung, have been working on their own take on generative AI, though there’s no evidence that offerings like Galaxy AI have a hope of eclipsing Gemini in a meaningful way.

Also key to the timeline is whether or not Google intends to continue supporting the “legacy” Assistant indefinitely on mobile devices — and whether lower-end devices will be up to the task of adopting Gemini.

Pixel 9 devices start shipping August 22.