Android in the age of AI

The AI ​​devices that were supposed to save us from our phones arrived woefully ill-prepared – whatever illusions we might have had that the Humane AI pin or the Rabbit R1 would offer any sort of balm for the constant rug burn of dealing with our problems personal. the technology is gone. Hot Gadget Spring is over and developer season is upon us, starting with Google I/O next Tuesday.

It’s also a pivotal moment for Android. I/O comes on the heels of a major reorganization that brought the Android team together with Google’s hardware team for the first time. The directive is clear: move full steam ahead and put more AI into more things. Not preferring Google products was a core tenet of Android, though that model began to change years ago as hardware and software teams collaborated more closely. Now, the wall has disappeared and the age of AI has arrived. And if the last 12 months are any indication, it’s going to be a bit confusing.

Gemini launched as an AI-powered alternative to the standard Google Assistant just over three months ago, and it still doesn’t seem quite ready. On the first day, it was Unable to access your calendar or set a reminder – not very useful. Google has since added these functions, but it still doesn’t support third-party media apps like Spotify. Google Assistant has supported Spotify for most of the last decade.

But the more I come back to Gemini, the more I can see how it will change the way I use my phone. He can memorize a dinner recipe and explain the steps to me while I’m cooking. He can understand when I’m asking the wrong question and give me the answer to the one I’m looking for (figs are the fruits that contain dead wasp parts; not dates, as I learned). He can tell me which Paw Patrol toy I’m holding, for Pete’s sake.

Again, though – party tricks. Gemini’s true usefulness will come when it can more easily integrate into the Android ecosystem; when it’s built into your headphones, your watch, and the operating system itself.

Android’s success in the AI ​​era depends on these integrations. ChatGPT can’t read your emails or calendars as readily as Gemini; you don’t have easy access to the history of every place you’ve visited in the last decade. These are real advantages, and Google needs every advantage now. We’ve seen plenty of signs that Apple plans to launch a much smarter Siri at WWDC this year. Microsoft and OpenAI are not standing still either. Google needs to leverage its strengths to offer AI that’s more than a party trick — even if it’s a little different from Android.