Google TV Set for Major Upgrade with Gemini AI Integration in 2025

Google TVs are getting a major Gemini upgrade in 2025 - here are the 3 best features

Google has been a fierce competitor in the AI space with its Gemini assistant, which powers its chatbot and voice assistant on devices. Now, the company is infusing Gemini into Google TV to level up your home entertainment. I got a demo of the upcoming features, and here's a break down of the best new tools. Google's releases at CES 2025 are focused on improving your Google TV experience. One of the biggest updates is the integration of Gemini capabilities on Google TV. This will replace Google Assistant with a much more capable voice assistant, which will help the assistant better understand your requests and provide better assistance. Also: CES 2025: The 13 most impressive products so far With the upgrade, you'll now be able to speak to it more seamlessly, using natural language and conversing with Google TV without needing to say "Hey Google," and using conversational queries to find what you are looking for. For example, in the demo below, the user asked to see movies like Jurassic Park, but for kids. Gemini was able to understand what they meant and provide options. Users can also now ask more complex queries you typically wouldn't ask the Google Assistant on Google TV. For example, in a demo, the user asked, "Tell me about the solar system for a third grader," and "Help me plan a vacation spot with great beaches." In both instances, Gemini was able to quickly generate the answer and display it on the TV, presented in the same way as the photo above. Also: The Google TV Streamer pleasantly surprised me - and I'm an extreme cord cutter Related YouTube videos will also accompany Gemini answers, since when looking for something on TV, you are likely looking for visual content over standard web text content. You will also be able to use your voice to create AI-generated screensavers and to control your smart home devices more easily. Beyond software, Google also plans to work with partners to upgrade some hardware that further optimizes a user's Google TV experience. For example, upcoming Google TVs will have far-field microphones built in so that you can more easily converse and interact with your TV without needing to speak into a remote. If you enjoy having your TV on at all times of the day, Google also plans to bring a new ambient experience. Google is developing an on-screen hub that senses when you're approaching the TV to show you personalized and informative widgets, which could include the weather, news stories you are interested in, or information from your calendar, as seen in the image above. Also: I saw Samsung's 8K TV at CES 2025 - and these 3 new features stole the show The sensor also helps bring other experiences to life, such as displaying art when a user isn't using the TV but is in its vicinity or turning the TV off entirely when nobody is in the room. All the features seem to be centered around making your interactions with your TV more seamless and incorporating it into your daily life more than just watching content.

Gemini is taking over Google TV - but in ways you'll actually like

Google has been a fierce competitor in the AI space with its Gemini assistant, which powers its chatbot and voice assistant on devices. Now, the company is infusing Gemini into Google TV to level up your home entertainment. Google's releases at CES 2025 are focused on improving your Google TV experience. One of the biggest updates is the integration of Gemini capabilities on Google TV. This will replace Google Assistant with a much more capable voice assistant, which will help the assistant better understand your requests and provide better assistance. Also: CES 2025: The 13 most impressive products so far With the upgrade, you'll now be able to speak to it more seamlessly, using natural language and conversing with Google TV without needing to say "Hey Google," and using conversational queries to find what you are looking for. For example, in the demo below, the user asked to see movies like Jurassic Park, but for kids. Gemini was able to understand what they meant and provide options. Users can also now ask more complex queries you typically wouldn't ask the Google Assistant on Google TV. For example, in a demo, the user asked, "Tell me about the solar system for a third grader," and "Help me plan a vacation spot with great beaches." In both instances, Gemini was able to quickly generate the answer and display it on the TV, presented in the same way as the photo above. Also: The Google TV Streamer pleasantly surprised me - and I'm an extreme cord cutter Related YouTube videos will also accompany Gemini answers, since when looking for something on TV, you are likely looking for visual content over standard web text content. You will also be able to use your voice to create AI-generated screensavers and to control your smart home devices more easily. Beyond software, Google also plans to work with partners to upgrade some hardware that further optimizes a user's Google TV experience. For example, upcoming Google TVs will have far-field microphones built in so that you can more easily converse and interact with your TV without needing to speak into a remote. If you enjoy having your TV on at all times of the day, Google also plans to bring a new ambient experience. Google is developing an on-screen hub that senses when you're approaching the TV to show you personalized and informative widgets, which could include the weather, news stories you are interested in, or information from your calendar, as seen in the image above. Also: I saw Samsung's 8K TV at CES 2025 - and these 3 new features stole the show The sensor also helps bring other experiences to life, such as displaying art when a user isn't using the TV but is in its vicinity or turning the TV off entirely when nobody is in the room. All the features seem to be centered around making your interactions with your TV more seamless and incorporating it into your daily life more than just watching content.

Gemini is taking over Google TV - in a good way

Google has been a fierce competitor in the AI space with its Gemini assistant, which powers its chatbot and voice assistant on devices. Now, the company is infusing Gemini into Google TV to level up your home entertainment. Google's releases at CES 2025 are focused on improving your Google TV experience. One of the biggest updates is the integration of Gemini capabilities on Google TV. This will replace Google Assistant with a much more capable voice assistant, which will help the assistant better understand your requests and provide better assistance. Also: I saw Samsung's 8K TV at CES 2025 - and these 3 new features stole the show With the upgrade, you'll now be able to speak to it more seamlessly, using natural language and conversing with Google TV without needing to say "Hey Google," and using conversational queries to find what you are looking for. For example, in the demo below, the user asked to see movies like Jurassic Park, but for kids. Gemini was able to understand what they meant and provide options. Users can also now ask more complex queries you typically wouldn't ask the Google Assistant on Google TV. For example, in a demo, the user asked, "Tell me about the solar system for a third grader," and "Help me plan a vacation spot with great beaches." In both instances, Gemini was able to quickly generate the answer and display it on the TV, presented in the same way as the photo above. Also: The Google TV Streamer pleasantly surprised me - and I'm an extreme cord cutter Related YouTube videos will also accompany Gemini answers, since when looking for something on TV, you are likely looking for visual content over standard web text content. You will also be able to use your voice to create AI-generated screensavers and to control your smart home devices more easily. Beyond software, Google also plans to work with partners to upgrade some hardware that further optimizes a user's Google TV experience. For example, upcoming Google TVs will have far-field microphones built in so that you can more easily converse and interact with your TV without needing to speak into a remote. If you enjoy having your TV on at all times of the day, Google also plans to bring a new ambient experience. Google is developing an on-screen hub that senses when you're approaching the TV to show you personalized and informative widgets, which could include the weather, news stories you are interested in, or information from your calendar, as seen in the image above. The sensor also helps bring other experiences to life, such as displaying art when a user isn't using the TV but is in its vicinity or turning the TV off entirely when nobody is in the room. All the features seem to be centered around making your interactions with your TV more seamless and incorporating it into your daily life more than just watching content.

Hands-on: Gemini on Google TV is faster, better, and more futuristic [Video]

Google TV is preparing for some big updates in 2025, with Gemini in the pipeline as well as new presence sensing in certain TVs which really opens the door to a whole new way to use your TV. Since its inception, voice controls have been a key part of Android TV. At the beginning, that was mainly for input in order to avoid 10,001 button pushes just to type out the name of a movie. Then, Google Assistant arrived to add support for asking questions, finding content, and even controlling smart home devices. But, as Gemini has become the focus, Google Assistant has continued to degrade, and that's been felt on Google TV and Android TV in recent years. Google announced at CES 2025 that it would bringing Gemini to Google TV this year, and we were able to get a sneak peek at the functionality at the annual tech show. Google showed off four new parts of Google TV, starting with presence sensing. Coming to select TVs with compatible hardware (including one unnamed model from TCL), Google TV will be able to know when someone is in the room and can turn the TV off from a sleep state, then show a Nest Hub-like "on-screen hub" that shows the weather, calendar appointments, Nest camera feeds, and more. In action, this works shockingly well. As we approached the TV, the screen lit up to Google TV's screensaver, only to jump to the "hub" as we walked closer. I like the idea of this, as I often do like having my TV showing photos or a screensaver while I'm in the room, and by knowing that, the TV can ensure it's turned off when I'm not using it at all. The "hub," though, I'm not too sure about. The idea is clear, as it presents a nice central place to look at information, but I don't necessarily want that in my living room. This would make sense for a TV in a bedroom or a home office, though. I'll be curious to see how, if at all, Google implements this feature for TVs without the presence sensor. After the TV is on and aware that you're nearby, the door then opens to hands-free voice controls, as Google is putting further emphasis on "Hey Google" commands for TVs with far-field microphones, a feature that's remarkably common nowadays from brands such as Hisense and TCL. With the arrival of Gemini, this functionality is getting supercharged. Not only does it process much faster than before, but the end result is also better. Personally, I've never been big on using voice commands with my Google TV setups, but that's primarily because Assistant is slow, and occasionally just doesn't work. It's a drag, especially for a feature that once set Google's platform apart from the rest. Thankfully, Gemini goes a long way to fix that, making voice commands faster both in the voice recognition and getting the end results. Google showed examples of using Gemini to find movie recommendations similar to another using deeper context, such as age groups, or more general queries about travel that still finds YouTube videos on the topic. None of this functionality is reinventing the wheel, and it's not even "replacing" Assistant either, as you'll still see Assistant's UI pop up to finish some tasks. Despite that, it all feels brand new and like a drastic upgrade in functionality that I'm looking forward to using in day to day life. Note: This video is just to show the UI and interactions, and has no audio. Google TV is also adding "News Brief," a new feature that uses AI to summarize trending news topics while also pulling in videos from reputable news sources. Google explained that the feature refreshes multiple times per day, and it seems like a handy way to catch up on trending topics without opening a streaming app. Google says that Gemini and these other new features will be arriving "later this year on select Google TV devices," and teases that this is just the beginning of what Gemini models could bring to the platform.

Gemini AI is coming to Google TV devices in 2025, making them easier to talk to

New hardware will also include proximity sensors to enable a personalized on-screen hub. This week at CES, Google presented an early look at new software and hardware upgrades coming to Google TV devices. The new features include the integration of Gemini, Google's AI model, to the Google Assistant, as well as a new ambient experience. New smart TVs with Google TV will also gain far-field mics and proximity sensors to support the new software perks. If you've used a Google TV or Google streaming device, you may have already used the "hey Google" prompt to search for shows to watch. With the addition of Gemini, those "conversations" should now feel more natural. Asking follow up questions or even changing topics to ask about something else won't require you to say the prompt again. You should also be able to search for content more intuitively, saying things like, "What are the newest movies from Disney?" Interacting with your connected smart home devices should be easier as well, letting you say, for example, "Who's at the front door?" to view your video doorbell feed. The new Google TV experience will include YouTube videos to supplement answers to your queries. So if you ask, "what are the best pizza places in Chicago?" your TV will give you a list of videos to check out. To facilitate the new AI-fueled Assistant capabilities, Google TV sets will now come standard with far-field microphones so you can talk to the Google Assistant without the remote. Google is also working on a new ambient experience that will rely on proximity sensors to trigger an on-screen hub that shows personalized widgets like weather, news, traffic and so on. And when you're not viewing the hub or actively watching TV, an always-on mode can display art or even AI-generated screensavers, again enabled by Gemini's smarts. We've seen versions of some of these features before. Amazon's Echo Show smart displays rely on proximity sensors to display personal details. Supplementing your queries with YouTube videos and creating AI screensavers with voice prompts are both features we saw with the new Google TV Streamer from last year. And of course, AI integration has been an unofficial mandate for every tech company throughout 2024 and it's everywhere at CES this year. If the new smarts makes finding something good to watch an easier endeavor, it'll be a welcome use of the technology. Google demonstrated the new features at CES this week and has said the technology will be available on new Google TV devices sometime this year, but we don't have a firm date for when the new devices will be available.

I just tried Gemini AI on Google TV and you may never use your remote again

Google is bringing its AI to Google TVs this year; here's how it works After debuting Gemini AI on the Google TV Streamer last year, Google is further integrating its artificial intelligence into its streaming platform this year, which should make your TV more useful than simply watching the best movies on Netflix. I was able to get an early preview of it at CES 2025 to see how it will work in your home, how it could change how you use your TV, and when you'll be able to try it out for yourself. The TV I saw was a demo unit with a small module along the bottom edge which has a motion sensor and microphones. When no one's in the room, the TV screen will be off, but if you get within, say 15 feet of the screen, it will turn on and display artwork or some other type of background image. A representative said that in its final iteration, you'll be able to adjust the distance at which the TV reacts to movement. Once you get nearer to the TV, the screen will change to display such things as the weather, your calendar, and thumbnails of your photo albums. From here, you can move right into the traditional Google TV interface. While the Google TV interface currently draws on Gemini to provide summaries of shows, you can now use natural language to ask for pretty much anything you like. In my demo, I said something to the effect of "What are movies like Jurassic Park that are appropriate for my kids?" Gemini then gave me a few options such as "The Good Dinosaur" and "The Land Before Time." Beyond watching movies, Google also demonstrated how you could use Gemini AI to control your smart home devices, such as asking it to dim your lights of change your smart thermostat temperature. This is something already baked in to an extent, but with the Gemini update, if someone rings your video doorbell, you can ask Gemini to deliver an automated response if you can't get to the door. Additionally, you could also use Gemini for educational purposes; the example we tried was "explain what the solar system is to a third grader." Gemini returned an age-appropriate answer, and then also provided links to some relevant YouTube videos. Google will also be rolling out a feature tentatively called News Brief; when you ask Gemini for the briefing, it will pull the top headlines of the day from reputable news sources. Be warned: the summaries can be pretty grim depending on the day. Gemini AI will be added to the Google TV interface over the course of the year, so if you have a Google TV device, you'll be able to access many of these features by using the Assistant button on your remote. However, the TVs with the microphones and ambient sensors built in -- which will be made by TCL and Hisense -- won't come on the market until the end of 2025. It's only natural that Google would want to extend its AI into all of its devices, and given the popularity of its TV interface, is a logical extension. Given the volume of shows and movies, being able to use Gemini to more easily search for something to watch will -- should -- definitely be helpful. I'm not sure if I'd be comfortable with my kid going to the TV every time they have a question about the universe or anything else for that matter; if Gemini is going to be this accessible, there needs to be better safeguards for children. However, given how expansive Gemini can be, it's interesting to think of the possibilities of how you can use it on your TV.

You'll Soon Be Able to Get More Chatty With Your Google TV, Thanks to Gemini

Google's AI-powered Gemini model has been swiftly making its rounds, overthrowing Google Assistant on handheld devices and Google's smart home products. Now, Gemini has found its way to Google TVs, and the result is a more conversational voice assistant. Gemini Will Soon Be the Voice of Google TV Unfortunately for Google Assistant, Gemini is coming in to take its place on Google TVs. One day ahead of CES 2025's official start, Google's The Keyword announced that the company would be integrating its "Gemini models to make interacting with your TV more intuitive and helpful." One perk of Gemini that Google often touts is its ability to understand and respond to more natural language. Hence, you can be more chatty with Gemini when asking about streaming content on Google TV. While the now outdated Google Assistant requires more precise terminology, and is somewhat limited in what types of questions it can answer, Gemini can handle naturally flowing conversations and complex queries. The update will also negate the need to say "Hey Google" before a request. For example, if I wanted to browse series similar to Hulu's The Bear, I could say something like, "I'm really liking The Bear, but I think for my next show I'd like something with hour-long episodes." It may not be the most streamlined request, but Gemini should theoretically understand me. Google TVs equipped with Gemini will also be able to support questions unrelated to content, such as general knowledge topics. So if you find yourself wondering why the sky is blue, you can feel free to ask your Google TV that now, too. Beyond a Conversational Voice Assistant According to Google, an updated voice assistant is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to this new Gemini integration on Google TVs. The company claims that: The Gemini model on Google TV also enables you to do other things like create customized artwork with the family, control your smart home devices while your TV is in ambient mode and even get an overview of the day's news. The mention of smart home devices suggests that we can probably expect more Gemini integration for those Google products. In November 2024, Google started to roll out a few Gemini features geared towards Google Home devices, such as an AI-enhanced camera search. With the Gemini update rolling out to select Google TVs "later this year," Google could become the one to beat in the smart TV sphere. After all, competing AI models like Apple Intelligence still leave much to be desired, and so far Gemini has a decent track record of making daily tasks more convenient. Imagine leveraging Gemini's memory feature to recall your content preferences across streaming apps, keeping your recommendations fresh and unbiased -- as unbiased as any Google product can be, anyway.

Google TV will soon get Gemini's AI smarts

Starting later in 2025, yelling at your TV will finally accomplish something thanks to a new Google initiative announced Monday ahead of CES 2025. The company plans to incorporate its Gemini AI models into the Google TV experience as a means to "make interacting with your TV more intuitive and helpful." Google claims that this "will make searching through your media easier than ever, and you will be able to ask questions about travel, health, space, history, and more, with videos in the results for added context," the company wrote in its announcement blog post. Google had previously forfeited a significant chunk of its market value after its Gemini prototype, dubbed Bard, flubbed its space-based response during the model's first public demo in 2023. Google also had to pause the AI's image-generation feature in early 2024, after it started outputting racially offensive depictions of people of color. Recommended Videos "The Gemini model on Google TV also enables you to do other things like create customized artwork with the family, control your smart home devices while your TV is in ambient mode, and even get an overview of the day's news," the company continued. You'd think that people would prefer being able to control their smart home devices without having to put their TV into standby, but the company seems confident in its offering. "These features will begin rolling out later this year on select Google TV devices," Google added. Google has been investing heavily in its Gemini model and app since 2023, and looks to continue doing so in 2025. We've seen the AI spread steadily throughout Google's product ecosystem, including its mobile, laptop, and tablet offerings, and integrate across Workspace apps like Calendar and Gmail, and, as also announced Monday, into the WearOS environment. What's more, the company plans to make the expansion of Gemini its "biggest focus" of the new year. "I think 2025 will be critical," Google CEO Sundar Pichai told employees during a companywide strategy session held in December. "I think it's really important we internalize the urgency of this moment, and need to move faster as a company. The stakes are high. These are disruptive moments. In 2025, we need to be relentlessly focused on unlocking the benefits of this technology and solving real user problems."

Google TV Will Soon Offer These Gemini-Powered AI Features

The AI-powered Google TV will also allow users to ask follow-up queries Google previewed new Gemini-powered artificial intelligence (AI) features for Google TV on Monday at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2025. The company's operating system for smart TVs will soon integrate new AI features that will add new functionalities and make it easier for users to interact with their devices. The Mountain View-based tech giant said that Gemini will upgrade Google Assistant and enable it to summarise news content, search through media, as well as answering various queries about the streaming platforms as well as the device. In a blog post, the tech giant detailed the new AI features that will soon arrive on smart TVs that run the Google TV OS. Using Gemini models, the company is now making Google TV more intuitive and helpful. These new capabilities can be accessed through the operating system's voice assistant. Notably, while Gemini models are being used to power these AI features, Gemini will not replace Google Assistant. Instead, Google Assistant is being upgraded with Gemini. Google highlighted that with this integration, users will be able to have a natural conversation with their smart TV devices. One direct benefit of this will be that users will find it much easier to search through media. Users can now make detailed queries to find the right show or movie to watch. Additionally, Google said that users can ask the voice assistant questions about topics such as travel, health, space, history, and more. For instance, a user can ask Google TV about ISRO's latest rocket launch and it can show a YouTube video that provides the result with added context. Another interesting feature previewed by Google is the news overview feature. The AI assistant can now summarise the biggest news headlines of the day and present it to the user on command. Further, the AI can be used to create customised art as a screensaver for the idle screen and to control smart home devices even when the smart TV is in ambient mode. The search giant said these new AI features will be rolled out later this year on select Google TV devices. There is no word on when the feature will be made available globally.

The next-generation of Google TV is on the way with an improved Gemini that'll make smarter and better

Plus with proximity sensors it has a unique take on 'Ambient Mode.' The Google TV platform powers not only the Google TV Streamer box, but also countless TVs that opt for it to be the native operating system of choice. As the successor to Android TV, it ushered in a cleaner interface with better recommendations for major streaming services - as well as support for more of them - and a hefty dose of voice control courtesy of 'Hey Google.' Now, though, much like many of the other announcements at the 2025 Consumer Electronics Show, Google's giving us a peak at the next generation of Google TV and it, of course, has an AI tie-in. Just like the latest Pixel phones, next-gen Google TV will feature Gemini, and quite critically here, enables much more natural conversation requests. Further, when next-generation Google TV devices are expected to arrive by the end of 2025, it will be a mix of software and some hardware to enable an ambient experience that almost feels self-aware. Thanks to proximity sensors in forthcoming TVs, it can automatically turn the TV on a photo gallery slideshow as you enter the room, but then switch to a dashboard of sorts as you get closer. Pretty cool, right? This is Google TV's take on the ambient experience for sure, one that mimics the Nest Hub and Nest Hub Max or even the latest Nest Thermostat as it adjusts the content being shown based on where you will be in the space. The photo gallery aspect, including an opt-in for images created through Generative AI, is reminiscent of both the Chromecast static pages and art TVs like Samsung's Frame or Hisense's Canvas TV. So the requirement for this ambient will be a proximity sensor seemingly on the TVs, but I imagine as we get closer to seeing these, there might be away to trigger this dashboard via remote - that ultimately remains to be seen. But much like a smart speaker or smart display, these next-generation Google TVs will have far-field microphones built-in to let you ask Gemini or 'Hey Google' for really limitless queries. Since it's a big screen, though, Google's optimizing and tweaking the Gemini LLM a bit in that along with answering a question like how big our galaxy is or asking to plan a trip, it can suggest YouTube videos to jump into to learn more about the answers (or answers). As we've seen with other AI-powered assistants, it's sort of customizing that power to the device you're receiving it on. Of course, since it's Google TV and works with plenty of Google services, you'll also be able to control smart home devices with it and even run automation. Unlike the Google Assistant, you'll be able to speak more like a human and with more conversational terms rather than the more rigid voice requests of the past. This also applies when you're asking for help finding something to watch; you can be as specific as an animated movie appropriate for all ages from Disney or something much more wide-reaching to get suggestions. As we saw with the Google TV Streamer, Gemini will summarize key reviews and sentiments about the selected title when you open up a film. From an early look, it's a pretty AI glow-up for Google TV as a platform, but of course, it all comes down to hardware partners. While we already have an idea of what TV makers have already opted for Google, it remains to be seen where this next-generation experience will be found, but it is announced that we'll see these arrive on future hardware by the end of 2025. It's also worth noting that since there is an additional requirement for far-field microphones and proximity sensors, this likely won't be arriving on the current Google TV Streamer. Who knows, Google might be cooking up a hardware pack.

CES 2025: Google to bring Gemini to TVs. 3 wild things it can do.

AI-powered TVs are here, whether you really want one or not. Google unveiled its new TV operating system at CES 2025, promising many AI offerings. For what it's worth, Google is far from alone -- as Mashable's Cecily Mauran pointed out, AI-powered TVs are one of the big trends of CES 2025. Here are three things the Gemini-enhanced TVs will reportedly be able to do after its planned release later this year. Ever struggle to find that one movie you're looking for? Google seems to think Gemini can help there. It wrote in a blog post about the new TVs: "You and your family will be able to gather together and have a natural conversation with your TV. This will make searching through your media easier than ever, and you will be able to ask questions about travel, health, space, history and more, with videos in the results for added context." The idea is that you can use Gemini to ask your TV questions, access specific content, or perform other tasks. As TechCrunch noted, the new Gemini TVs will be able to read you a daily news brief it generates after "the AI assistant [scrapes] news stories from across the internet and YouTube video headlines posted by trusted news channels." That seems neat on its surface, but it is also a bit troubling considering all the trouble AI tools -- Google's included -- have had with getting basic facts correct. The new TVs will be outfitted with sensors that can tell when you're nearby, prompting the TV to "show 'personalized and informative widgets' with the weather or news stories," the Verge noted. You might never need to ask Alexa the temperature outside again.

Google TV to integrate Gemini AI for enhanced user experience

At this year's CES, Google announced upcoming AI capabilities for Google TV, powered by its Gemini models. These enhancements aim to provide a more intuitive and helpful user experience. The integration will allow users to interact with their TV using natural language. This will simplify content discovery, allowing for searches using conversational queries. Users will also be able to ask questions on various topics, such as travel or history, and receive relevant video results alongside textual information. Beyond search and information retrieval, the Gemini-powered Google TV will offer features like generating customized artwork, controlling smart home devices through the TV interface, and providing a summary of daily news. These new features, driven by AI technology and designed to improve the functionality and interactivity of Google TV, are scheduled to begin rolling out later this year on select Google TV devices. The update signifies a move towards a more seamless and integrated home entertainment experience.

Gemini is coming to Google TV in 2025

In bringing "Gemini models" to this new form factor, Google wants to "make interacting with your TV more intuitive and helpful." This joins Gemini on phones, tablets, and headphones, while we reported today that Gemini is coming to Wear OS smartwatches. Specifically, Google says this "will make searching through your media easier than ever, and you will be able to ask questions about travel, health, space, history and more, with videos in the results for added context." This very much sounds like the Gemini-powered Google Assistant upgrade that's currently being tested on the Nest Mini and Audio. The LLM can "provide more in-depth, AI-powered answers on general knowledge topics." In addition to more natural voices, you can ask follow-up questions and interrupt responses to ask something new. Meanwhile, other Gemini model-powered capabilities will let you "create customized artwork with the family, control your smart home devices while your TV is in ambient mode and even get an overview of the day's news." Google introduced AI screensavers last year along with AI-generated summaries for movie and show listings. Google is only providing a "preview" of what the "Gemini models" can do for televisions today, with a rollout beginning "later this year on select Google TV devices."

I got a sneak peek of some great new AI features for Google Home devices and TVs, and one is straight out of a Black Mirror episode

Google Assistant's Gemini update also brings new Smart Home functionality. Google is showcasing a new AI-powered Google Assistant at CES 2025 that'll bring several great new features to select smart home devices and TVs throughout the year, like being able to control your TV with just your presence or by having more advanced conversations with your smart display. With Google Gemini racing to win the AI crown in 2025, it was only a matter of time before we'd find it in more devices, and it's getting more seamless with each iteration, from what I saw during a demonstration of the new features. The first was a new version of the Google Assistant with some Gemini smarts that made getting to your optimal movie night vibe quick and easy. By just asking Google TV hey Google, let's start movie night', this new home automation feature dimmed the lights, set the thermostat a little bit cooler, and used ambient light sensors to subtly adjust the lighting in the back of the TV to match the room in a blink of the eye. Another update that's set to come to more Google TVs is the new and improved landing page for movies and TV shows that have AI summaries of what the title is about and what reviews have said of it, which are currently available on the Google Streamer. The upgraded Google Assitant for Google TVs also tailors its response to the type of question you ask. For instance, if you ask it to 'explain the solar system to a third grader, ' the model will serve up links to relevant YouTube content that are personalized to kids, which is a great way to make such a communal device safe for anyone who uses it. "This is our vision for what the future of TV is in 2025," Google's Jamison Brittle told me of the makeshift living room that the company had set up to demonstrate the new Gemini features in Google TV. The TV is traditionally a very communal device, but when you're not watching, say, one of the best movies of 2024, it does end up being a black screen in your space. The new update will change this by introducing a new smart hub to Google TVs by integrating RADAR sensors to detect movement. Just like Google TV's fancy new AI-generated wallpapers update in October 2024 - Samsung had also introduced AI wallpapers to its Samsung TVs during that month - the new smart hub adds new ways to interact with your display. From simply using your presence to turn on your TV to using voice commands to control it, I could see how the new 'smarts' offered a completely hands-free way of interacting with the display, something my colleague Jacob Krol likened to The Force. Standing just nine feet away from a custom-built Google TV, I was able to turn on the TV to bring up the Ambient Mode display, which can cycle through AI-generated art or your Google Photos if you prefer. As I got closer to the TV and sat down in front of it, the art gave way to a new smart home hub with customized widgets like a calendar, news, and weather. One new Google Nest feature, already available to select subscribers of 'Public Preview,' is the ability to search the camera's history in the Google Home app using voice commands. This allows you to be able to ask questions like, did the dog go outside today? Was the trash taken to the street yesterday? Did the USPS truck stop by yet today? But my favorite question was from the demo I got with product manager for Google Assistant and Gemini Vincent Lacey. After saying, 'hey Google, what happened to the cookies on the counter?' the Google Nest Hub smart display searched through the Nest's camera history to produce a video of a seemingly innocent dog cheekily taking said cookies off the kitchen bench. I'm not sure about you, but this immediately made me think of one of the best Black Mirror episodes, 'The Entire History of You,' where everyone has a video camera installed in their head that they can use to recall every moment from their lives. Dystopian AI fears aside; our furry friends are going to have a harder time getting away with their old tricks with this new feature... Lacey also demonstrated new ways that Google Assistant with Gemini can help in the kitchen, such as deciding what to do with leftovers or learning more about the nutritional status of different ingredients. It's these types of helpful search queries that'll continue to be built upon and advanced that'll find their way into more Google devices as updates are rolled out. Make sure to check back with TechRadar to learn more about when we can expect these features to become available.

Google will use more mics and Gemini AI to get you to talk to your TV

Google TV is getting a Gemini integration that's supposed to make interacting with your TV "more intuitive and helpful," the company announced at CES on Monday. With the update, which is set to arrive later this year, you'll be able to search for content and ask questions without starting with "Hey Google," as reported by Bloomberg and Android Police. As pointed out by Android Police, the integration will allow you to search for media by saying "What are the latest movies from Disney?" You can also ask more general questions such as, "What are the best places to visit in Asia in the summer?" and Google TV will show results from YouTube. The integration lets you interact with smart home devices as well, allowing you to view your video doorbell feed and more. Google brought similar Gemini-powered features to the Google TV Streamer it released last year. In addition to bringing Gemini to Google TV, the company is outfitting the TVs using its operating system with far-field microphones, according to Bloomberg and Android Police. This will let you use voice commands with your TV without speaking into your remote. Google TVs will also have proximity sensors that will detect when you're close to the TV and show "personalized and informative widgets," Android Police reports. Google isn't alone in bringing AI to TVs. LG and Samsung announced that they're getting in on the AI hype by bringing Microsoft's Copilot assistant to their TVs, too.

Google Reportedly Bringing Gemini AI to TV Sets | PYMNTS.com

The new offering, an addition to the Google Assistant's voice controlled system, was previewed by the tech giant at the CES conference Monday (Jan. 6), per a Bloomberg News report. According to the report, Google used the conference to preview an updated version of its TV software that features more natural voice commands, upgraded content search and deeper integration with YouTube. The updated Gemini, set to debut later in the year, lets users conduct back-and-forth conversations with third-party TVs without having to employ the "Hey Google" trigger phrase for each command. In addition, Google also spotlighted the ability to more naturally call up content, like asking to view videos saved to a user's Google Photos account. Bloomberg noted that the update marks the first instance of Google adding Gemini to third-party televisions using its operating systems. Also at CES, Google offered a sneak peek at a new "always-on" mode for TVs that use sensors to tell if a user is approaching and show them information they might find useful, such as news reports or weather forecasts. Google's Gemini model was part of what PYMNTS recently dubbed artificial intelligence's (AI) "leap year," with it and other Silicon Valley companies rolling out new takes on the tech. "The advances in 2024 point to broader changes ahead," that report said. "These systems now handle uncertainty with more sophistication, explain their reasoning processes and adapt to new information. They tackle increasingly complex tasks across fields, from scientific research to creative production." With each new update comes improvements on the ability to understand context and explain complex problems. The impact goes beyond tech companies to reconfigure how businesses operate and industries evolve. New regulatory frameworks around the world are hoping to govern these tools, particularly when it comes to high-stakes applications.

Google Gemini AI Coming To TVs And Smartwatches: CES 2025

Google is putting its Gemini AI models inside TVs as well as Android and Pixel smartwatches. Here's what it means for Google partners. Google's flagship artificial intelligence model Gemini is being integrated into new Google devices including Google TVs and potentially replacing Google Assistant on Android and Pixel smartwatches. At CES 2025 in Las Vegas today, Google unveiled that upcoming Google TVs will allow users to have conversations with their TVs without having to speak directly into the remote via an upgraded Gemini-powered voice assistant. Google said the goal is to let users leverage new Gemini models to make searching and interacting with a TV more "intuitive and helpful." [Related: Microsoft VP Of Silicon Engineering Jumps To Google Cloud To Head Chip Technology And Manufacturing] Matthew Wirsta, CEO of Google Cloud partner Wirsta Corp., said getting Gemini in front of millions of Google TV and Google smartwatch users is a great way to get people familiar with Gemini. "If people get used to playing with and interacting with Google's AI in their normal day-to-day routine, that spreads massive awareness and trust in the end user community," Wirsta said. "By putting Gemini models in people's homes and on their wrist, they'll get comfortable with it and their level of trust in AI and Google will grow." Compared to many other tech companies who sell mainly to businesses and enterprises, Google's large portfolio of home and personal devices will help Gemini get a leg-up over the competition, he said. For example, Google Gemini has already been integrated into Google's portfolio of smart home devices, which include Nest cameras and Google Home management devices. "There's obviously an AI arms race going on in the tech industry. AI models are a major factor in this race. Gemini will have an advantage because Google devices and software are in so many people's homes. Putting Gemini now on their wall [Google TV] and on their wrist [Google smartwatches] will get even more people comfortable using Gemini on a regular basis," said Wirsta. Google said the new Gemini features will begin rolling out later in 2025 on select Google TV devices. Gemini Set To Hit Google Smartwatches, Wear OS Over the past year, Gemini has been integrated and made available on many Android and Google Pixel phones. It now appears that Gemini will be injected into Android and Google Pixel smartwatches. Reports from CES this week show that Google is planning an AI upgrade for its Wear OS via Gemini. Gemini is listed by name in Google's latest App beta code pertaining to wearables, which means it will likely replace the Google Assistant feature on smartwatches. Enabling Gemini on Wear OS will provide a more intuitive and conversational experience compared to Google Assistant which provides information on simple tasks like weather updates, personal reminders and alarms. Google has already hinted that, in March 2025, the company will announce a new feature for its Wear OS devices.

Google hopes you'll pay for an AI TV assistant someday

Google TV is getting an extra dose of Gemini and some smart display features. Google is bringing its Gemini AI assistant to smart TVs in a bigger way this year, with the ultimate goal of getting people to pay for it in some way. Several television makers plan to announce new Google TV sets with Gemini built in at CES this week. The smart TVs include far-field microphones that respond to "Hey Google" voice commands, and they'll use proximity sensors to detect how far you're standing from the TV, showing artwork from far away and an informational dashboard up-close. Meanwhile, Gemini will begin handling some voice commands on TVs. This will allow for more nuanced movie and TV show requests, such as "suggest a movie like Jurassic Park, but suitable for young children." It'll also provide longer answers for certain types of knowledge queries, with suggested YouTube videos to match. None of these features will cost extra when they start rolling out later this year, but Shalini Govil-Pai, Google's GM & VP of TV, said the long-term plan is turn Gemini into something that merits a subscription, even on TVs. "For us, our biggest goal is to create enough value that yes, you would be willing to pay for it," she said. Part of Google's plan involves transforming the TV into an information hub. The TVs shipping this year with proximity sensors will have a separate mode that turns on when you're standing nearby. This informational mode will show the weather, top news stories, recent photos, and upcoming calendar events, akin to what you'd see on Google's Nest Hub smart displays. As you move further from the TV, it'll switch to an art mode, similar to the existing Ambient mode on today's Google TV devices. If you get far enough away, the TV will turn off entirely. TVs with these capabilities will start shipping toward the end of this year. Google's working on an AI-powered news briefing feature on TVs as well. When you say "Hey Google, play my news briefing," Gemini will generate summaries of top stories, with a set of YouTube clips for each one. "We believe TV is going to fundamentally change how information is consumed in the home," Govil-Pai said. Meanwhile, Google hopes that its Gemini AI will be more conducive to hands-free voice interaction. If you're looking for something to watch, for instance, Gemini will be able to handle more complex queries, such as "Bollywood movies that are similar to Mission Impossible." It's similar to the generative AI search feature that Amazon launched on Fire TV devices last year. Gemini will also respond to certain general knowledge questions, like "explain the solar system to a third-grader." Along with text and audio responses, Gemini will supply a list of YouTube videos to explore. Govil-Pai argued that putting these kinds of features on TVs will let people look up information in a more communal way. "You don't need to have a keyboard or a touchscreen in front of you anymore," Govil-Pai says. "You can actually ask for things just using a natural paradigm that humans are used to." While these features alone probably won't warrant a paid subscription, they're part of a larger ecosystem that Google is trying to build around Gemini, some elements of which already have subscriptions attached. Last year, for instance, Google started bringing Gemini to its Nest smart speakers in a limited preview, but only for Nest Aware subscribers. It allows Nest camera users to look up camera motion events with natural queries, such as "what happened to the cookies on the counter," and it also supports more complex information queries, such as "What's the name of the song from Wicked where they're dancing through the library?" Google won't say whether it'll open up Gemini to non-paying users on Nest speakers in the future. Google's working on bringing some Nest interactions to the TV as well. At CES, the company showed how the TV can turn on and show video when a Nest Doorbell camera detects motion. Users can then send a response to the door using "Hey Google" voice commands. Looking ahead, it's not hard to imagine some kind of home Gemini subscription that ties all of these things together. That said, all of this feels a bit like a solution in search of a problem. When I talk to readers about their streaming woes, they're mainly concerned about figuring out where to watch their favorite shows while streamlining unnecessary subscriptions. Being able to ask one's TV for vacation ideas or space facts is not high on the list of needs. Google is wagering that we just need to start thinking bigger in how we use our TVs in the first place. "People are not used to it, and so it will take some time for them to adapt to it," Govil-Pai said, "but the use cases are so compelling that I believe this is the way things will start getting consumed in the next year or two."

Gemini AI Integration in Google TV: What It Means?

Gemini AI is very far from the most simple recommendation systems. Most of the traditional systems depend on genres or titles. This can sometimes be too repetitive and irrelevant. However, Gemini AI applies advanced predictive analysis to understand the subtle patterns of viewing behavior. Voice search has become a basic feature of smart TVs but often suffers from accuracy and contextual issues. Google TV introduced a more advanced voice assistant called Gemini AI. It allows for natural conversations and gives contextually aware responses. Complex queries, such as "Show movies from the 90s with a male lead," are processed with ease. The AI understands not just keywords but also the intent behind them. This makes finding specific content faster and more enjoyable.

Google to Bring Gemini AI to TV Sets Running Its Software

Alphabet Inc.'s consumer team will give TV sets running its Google TV operating system an AI upgrade by adding Gemini to its Google Assistant voice-control system. At the CES technology conference on Monday, the company previewed upgraded Google TV software that adds more natural voice commands, improved content search and deeper YouTube integration.

Gemini AI smarts are coming to Google Home to make the Assistant a better conversationalist

I got a chance to check out the improvements in a live demo at CES 2025. During CES 2025, I had a chance to check out a demo of the way Google is integrating Gemini capabilities into its smart home platform via devices like the Nest Audio, Nest Hub and Nest Cameras. The main takeaway is that the conversations you have with the Google Assistant will feel more natural. Personally, I'd appreciate being able to ask questions as they pop in my head, without having to formulate some Assistant-friendly sentence before speaking -- what I saw makes me feel like my wish could come true. To kick things off, you'll still say "Hey Google," but for follow-up questions you can skip the prompt and the Assistant will be able to hold on to the thread of your conversation. During the demonstration, held in a simulated (and very posh) kitchen, the Google representative asked things like what to cook with ingredients he had on hand (chicken and spinach). On the Nest Audio, the Assistant rattled off a few recipe ideas (creamy chicken and spinach, chicken and spinach stir fry). On the Nest Hub, the rep was able to play a song he didn't know the name of by asking, "Hey Google, what's the song from Wicked where they're dancing in the library?" The Assistant named the song and played it after a follow up prompt. Possibly the most impressive trick I saw was the case of the missing cookies. The rep asked the Nest Hub the question, "Hey Google, what happened to the cookies on the counter?" Pulling footage from a connected Nest Cam, the Hub displayed a dog walking into a kitchen, swiping a cookie and scampering off. The Assistant meanwhile narrated the context of the video saying, "A dog jumped on the counter and looked at the cookies on December 12th at 1:29PM." Of course, this was a pre-recorded clip, as there was sadly no dog in the demonstration kitchen. The video analysis adds to tech already available with the Nest Cam, like familiar face recognition and builds on features that were launched in beta last year where you could type questions into the Google Home app, asking things like, "Did my FedEx package get delivered?" The update here is that you'll be able to ask these things using your voice and see relevant clips on the Hub. Unfortunately I wasn't able to ask questions of my own as both the speaker and display were keyed to the Google rep's voice. Each question was followed by a one or two second pause as, I assume, the Assistant gathered/synthesized/analyzed the information (or whatever AI does) before answering. Of course, the Assistant can still do all of the basic tasks it always has -- set timers and reminders, play music and videos and control smart home routines. The Google reps were sure point out that this isn't a replacement of the Google Assistant, but an enhancement with Gemini. Having used all three of the major smart home assistants fairly extensively, I've found the Google Assistant is best at accessing and delivering general information, but Alexa was better at smart home control and understanding me overall (for the record, Siri is best at frustrating me). With this new Gemini integration, the Google Assistant may be in a good position to overtake Alexa in that department. These Gemini-improved improvements will be coming to Nest Aware subscribers in a public preview later this year.

Google unveils an AI-powered TV that summarizes the news for you at CES 2025 | TechCrunch

Long gone are the days of simply watching the news. Google unveiled the latest version of its TV operating system at CES 2025 on Monday. It uses the company's Gemini AI assistant to summarize the biggest news of the day for you. By asking Gemini to play your "News Brief," the AI assistant will scrape news stories from across the internet and YouTube video headlines posted by trusted news channels, and produce a brief summary to catch you up on the day's events. Google plans to release these new Gemini capabilities for new and existing Google TV devices toward the end of 2025. The News Brief feature marks a notable step from Google into AI news summaries, a treacherous space for tech companies to venture into these days. OpenAI, Microsoft, and Perplexity are currently facing lawsuits from media companies who claim their AI systems have failed to appropriately license and credit the news content they use to create these AI summaries. As more tech companies try out AI news summaries, they have to deal with the backlash from embarrassing hallucinations. Apple's new AI-generated summaries misunderstood a BBC news article, creating a false headline about tennis world champion Rafael Nadal's sexuality. Google is no stranger to these hallucinations, either; its Gemini AI overviews hallucinated last year and told users to put glue on their pizza. While Google shied away from AI news summaries at first, pushing users toward Google Search instead, the company is now loosening its guardrails on Gemini. The AI assistant will summarize news stories today, but News Brief appears to be Google's first dedicated AI news product. Notably, News Brief did not show the source of where it gets its information from, but it does show related YouTube videos. A Google executive told TechCrunch it's pulling the information from not just YouTube video headlines, but across the web. In a demo with TechCrunch, Google showed how the News Brief feature could summarize live news about Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau submitting his resignation. In another example, Gemini summarized events happening on Capitol Hill on Monday, including the anniversary of the January 6 Capitol riot. The news feature for Google TV is part of the company's broader vision for how Gemini can change the way people use their TVs. Google aims to make the TV a more interactive experience, and its new TVs will include sensors to tell when users are entering the room. Google also says users will be able to ask their TV sets in natural language to search for shows, movies, and YouTube videos, and Gemini will create AI summaries for this content as well.

Google Wants Your TV to Know When You're In the Room

Expertise Apple | Samsung | Google | Smartphones | Smartwatches | Wearables | Fitness trackers Would you want a TV that knows when you're present and when you've left the room? Google certainly hopes so. At CES 2025, the tech giant previewed an upcoming ambient mode for Google TV devices that will allow supported products to tell when a person is in the room and display relevant content accordingly. For example, as I approached the couch in the demo room with a Google product manager, the giant screen in front of us showed tidbits such as news headlines, the weather, calendar appointments and photos from a recent trip -- without anyone having to speak a command or press a button. The concept is far from new. Companies such as Amazon, Samsung and Sony have all offered presence-detection features in TVs in some way, with Sony doing so even as far back as 2009. But Google is hoping that the combination of presence detection and a new version of the Google Assistant that uses the company's Gemini models will make the TV as much of a living room hub as it is an entertainment device. "Our vision is that this can be something so much more," Jamieson Brettle, a product manager at Google, said during the demo. "Like a smart display that sits in your living room, and it's the largest screen in your house." New Google TV products that support both the proximity detection and the Google Assistant with Gemini features will arrive towards the end of the year, while the Gemini upgrade will come to new and existing models throughout the year. Google isn't using cameras to detect whether you're in the room. Rather, Brettle says, it's a radar-like technology that senses motion, so it can't actually see the person or their surroundings. Brettle says the decision to use this technology instead of cameras came down to cost, preserving privacy and power management. The new Gemini functionality seems like a minor extension of the Google Assistant's existing Google TV capabilities to make Google's voice assistant work on TVs, similar to the way it does on mobile devices. The idea is to make it so that you can ask more granular questions with follow up queries and converse with the Google Assistant in a more natural way. In one example, Brettle asked for movies like Jurassic Park that were appropriate for small children, and it pulled up The Land Before Time. In another example, Brettle showed how the Google Assistant with Gemini's models can now provide YouTube videos as answers for certain queries, such as when asking for vacation recommendations. There's also a news brief feature that summarizes news stories and shows where the news is sourced from. Google has been implementing AI into its major products -- from its search engine to Pixel phones -- over the past two years as generative AI has upended the tech industry. The Google TV Gemini update marks the company's latest effort to overhaul its core services and platforms with AI. It's also not the only one trying to bring AI to your home's big screen; Samsung introduced a few new AI TV features at CES, such as one that provides more information about what's on your TV. The question is whether people will find these features truly useful. While TVs can do far more than just stream Netflix or play video games, it's hard to imagine new AI features like these becoming a major selling point just yet.