Manner again in late 2023, we heard that Google was engaged on a brand new digital assistant that was evidently deliberate to debut on the Pixel 9 in 2024. Evidently referred to as Pixie, the assistant would have dealt with AI duties on-device utilizing a Gemini Nano mannequin. However the AI by no means materialized. So what occurred to Pixie, and can we ever see it once more?
Welcome to Compiler, your weekly digest of Google’s goings-on. I spend my days as Google Editor studying and writing about what Google’s as much as throughout Android, Pixel, Gemini, and extra, and speak about all of it proper right here on this column. This is what’s been on my thoughts this week.
What was Pixie?
In keeping with reporting from The Info, Pixie was meant to be an on-device AI assistant unique to Google Pixel telephones, conceived earlier than the Gemini chatbot hit the scene (it was nonetheless Google Bard again then). Utilizing an area Gemini Nano mannequin, the AI would have pulled information from the Google apps in your cellphone to supply extra customized help. The Info mentioned in 2023 that Pixie may have advanced “into a much more customized model of the Google Assistant.”
Pixie was apparently deliberate to take over assistant duties from the Google Assistant on Google’s telephones. That clearly by no means occurred, although Google has formally introduced its plans to part out the legacy Assistant in favor of Gemini within the close to future.
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What occurred to Pixie?
The Pixel 9 sequence landed final yr with none point out of the Pixie assistant that had been rumored the yr earlier than. Subsequent reporting from The Info (dropped at our consideration by 9to5Google) sheds some mild on what could have occurred to Pixie.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai reportedly personally ordered a shift in technique with Pixie to keep away from competitors with Google’s precedence AI assistant, Gemini. The Pixie branding appears nicely and actually retired, however some Pixie options did find yourself making it to the Pixel 9. Pixel Screenshots, an area AI function powered by the Gemini Nano XS mannequin, evidently began life as Pixie performance. 9to5Google has additionally reported that Gemini’s Utilities extension that permits the AI to instantly management system settings, media playback, alarms, and extra was, at one time, deliberate to be a part of the Pixie expertise.
The Info has reported that these options apparently spun out of Pixie do not fairly make for an expertise all that just like what Pixie would have been. It is doable that we’ll see extra of what Pixie may have been sooner or later, although.
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May Pixie make a comeback?
With Gemini so clearly a precedence for Google, it appears unlikely that we’ll see the discharge of a Pixel-exclusive AI assistant that overlaps with Gemini’s function set — the truth is, with Gemini set to exchange Google Assistant on most gadgets within the close to future, Google looks like it is going the wrong way. However a March report from Android Authority referencing “a supply inside Google” says that extra Pixie performance will come to the Pixel 10 sequence within the type of a brand new app referred to as Pixel Sense.
It looks like Pixel Sense will not compete instantly with Gemini, however will as a substitute attempt to present “predictive” strategies based mostly on context out of your linked Google apps, together with Calendar, Chrome, Gmail, Maintain, Maps, and extra. Pixel Sense may even apparently be capable to arrange your screenshots right into a searchable archive like the present Pixel Screenshots app does, hinting that it could substitute Screenshots altogether.
Pixel Sense will function fully on-device; Android Authority quotes a supply as saying that “Your information stays personal—seen solely to you, not even Google can see it.”
AA’s reporting would not paint an entire image of how the Pixel Sense app will truly work, however as described, it sounds prefer it may perform equally to the long-deprecated Google Now, or Samsung’s related S25 function, Now Temporary. These options additionally purpose to supply info as you want it, knowledgeable by context out of your linked accounts. With entry to what looks like basically all the knowledge saved in your Google account and powered by Gemini Nano, Pixel Sense may doubtlessly do a greater job at delivering helpful updates as you want them.
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The Pixie assistant will possible by no means see the sunshine of day in its initially deliberate type; Google’s placing all its assistant eggs within the Gemini basket. But it surely’s wanting like we’ll get extra of Pixie’s performance on the Pixel 10 sequence within the type of the brand new Pixel Sense app. As for what precisely Pixel Sense is, we’ll have to attend and see. It is doable we’ll hear extra at Google I/O, which kicks off subsequent month.
