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Gemini Live in the Pixel Buds Pro 2 is the AI audio integration I've been waiting for
It’s almost every day now that we hear of some new AI-powered device, but today, Google just announced one that could actually be incredibly useful in my daily life: Gemini Live in the new Pixel Buds Pro 2. This integration represents a significant leap forward in the realm of AI assistants, addressing many of the limitations I encountered with previous attempts at AI integration in earbuds, such as the ChatGPT integration in Nothing Ear.
The key advantage of Gemini Live lies in its deep integration with the Google ecosystem. Unlike the ChatGPT integration in Nothing Ear, which felt more like a novelty than a necessity because it couldn’t access any of the other apps or information on your phone, Gemini Live promises to tap into the full suite of Google apps and services. This means that users can expect a truly functional AI assistant that can perform real-world tasks, not just engage in conversations.
Gemini Live taps into Google's full ecosystem, making it a truly functional AI assistant.
Spoken word is the more natural and immediate medium to interact with AI, which is why I believe that AI assistants ultimately belong in our ears and not in screens. Think of asking for real-time directions via Google Maps to new nearby restaurants that appeal to your current cravings or, as Google demonstrated on stage, fitting an advertised concert date into your calendar, all without ever going through your phone.
Google also showed off Gemini Live’s ability to engage in back-and-forth conversations, meaning users can interrupt the AI mid-response if they don’t like the feedback, which ChatGPT’s voice mode will also do. However, I found the speed at which Gemini spoke to be a little too fast, almost like it was running at 1.5x speed, and the emotional tonality was not to be emphasized as it was in ChatGPT new ‘Advanced Voice Mode, ‘which I’ve been using as a Plus member. Still, I’m willing to settle for a more robotic-sounding assistant for the sake of app integration.
Voice is the natural medium for AI interaction, enabling seamless integration with daily tasks.
The Pixel Buds Pro 2 also allows users to invoke Gemini Live using the “Hey Google” wake word, even when the phone is locked and in your pocket, unlike the Nothing Ear, where you pinch the earbuds to activate ChatGPT. A slightly more hands-free experience for on-the-go productivity and accessibility.
While my experience with ChatGPT in Nothing Ear left me wanting more in terms of practical functionality, Gemini Live promises to deliver on this front. The ability to set alarms, make calls, add events to your calendar, and interact with other Google services directly through voice commands makes this AI integration truly useful in day-to-day scenarios. Google has a huge advantage in that it already owns a host of apps that everyone is already using, so they don’t need to negotiate permissions for their AI to access them or worry about third-party security breaches.
Hands-free activation and Google integration make Gemini Live a potential game-changer.
Gemini Live in the Pixel Buds Pro 2 represents the AI audio integration I’ve been waiting for. It combines the advancing conversational abilities of AI with the practical functionality of traditional voice assistants, all wrapped up in a seamless, hands-free package. While it’s still early days for this technology, the potential for transforming how we interact with our devices and manage our daily lives is enormous. As AI continues to evolve, integrations like Gemini Live may well become the new standard for artificially intelligent audio assistants.
