Google Assistant is Testing an Advanced ‘Memory’ Feature to Augment Your Brain
Google Assistant is testing out a new feature to remember everything on your behalf called Memory, according to a report on a teardown of code from 9to5Google. Memory collects data from images, audio reminders, direct commands, and more into a searchable database that users would supposedly be able to rely on to recall details as needed.
Memory Assist
Memory appears to be designed to accept information in the many ways modern tech users encounter it. The list of sources is extensive and, according to 9to5Google, includes everything from books and articles to pictures, music, and videos, and even events, reservations, locations, products, and websites, among several others. With a voice command or a button on an Android mobile device, Google Assistant will compile any and all of that information into the Memory feature. Once there, the AI will attempt to contextualize what it has collected, with help from humans, the user to tag categories appropriately. The feature will also attempt to add helpful clues and reminders about what it contains, such as attaching a trailer to a movie saved to the database and review cards for documents.
Remember to Remember
Technically, Google Assistant Memory already exists, but it’s built much more on direct requests to remember specific facts and related media. In some ways, the new feature is reminiscent of the Super Bowl LIV commercial produced for Google Assistant and titled “Loretta.” The commercial told the story of a widower using Google Assistant on a Nest smart display to help remember his wife by asking it to remember information about her, like her love of scallops and her disdain for his mustache. He taught the voice assistant to know their favorite movie is Casablanca, so that if he requested it play “our favorite movie,” Casablanca is what would start playing.
The test images give a The Memory feature is currently undergoing testing by Google employees, the so-called “dogfood” stage. It’s not clear when it will arrive for general use or what the final form will be, but it sounds like a very ambitious enhancement of Google Assistant’s services. Depending on how the testing shapes the released version of Memory, Google may need to rely on its power as the underlying platform to get people to try it out. Memory will have to compete with third-party Google Assistant Actions like Wonder and ToDoist that accomplish at least a few of Google’s goals. In other words, it may take some reminders from Google to get people to engage with Memory.
Follow @voicebotai Follow @erichschwartz
Google’s Super Bowl LIV Commercial Highlights Google Assistant
