Google Assistant will have an AI that can summarize long articles

The latest beta version of Google’s app hints at an upcoming generative artificial intelligence feature for Google Assistant. The feature will allow Google’s voice assistant to create a summary of a web page when browsing in Chrome or when launching a Custom Tab web page. Currently, this feature is not working and it gives an error message when Assistant asks for a summary. It has been noted that Google is working on a potentially handy feature that would allow Google Assistant to summarize text on a web page with a simple voice command.

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As reported by 9to5Google, the latest beta version of Google’s app (version 14.29) shows evidence that the voice assistant will get its first generative AI in the future. Assistant already has an accessibility feature that reads web pages aloud, with support for more than 42 language translations.

Accessibility is a feature that can be used to read web pages aloud, with support for more than 42 language translations.

In the future, Assistant will be able to cut to the chase when you say «Hey Google, summarize this» etc. Reportedly, the «Summarize» button will appear after calling Assistant with the common phrase «Hey Google» while browsing the web, along with the «Lens» and «Read» options, as shown below.

Assistant will be able to summarize this» and «Read» as shown below.

But it appears to only support web pages opened directly in Google Chrome or through a custom tab that also works in Chrome. 9to5 also notes that the feature is currently not working and only gives an error message when prompted.

Although the feature is presumably still in development, 9to5 speculates that it could become exclusive to Google’s Pixel phones once it becomes publicly available. Since most of the voice assistant’s useful features are limited to the search giant’s best Android phones, including «Call Screen», «Hold Me» and «Quick Phrases», it wouldn’t be surprising if that’s the case.

It’s not a surprise if it is.

And if it is, it’s not a surprise.

Google first introduced artificial intelligence summarization in Google Docs, and Gmail is also capable of summarizing the contents of a long stream of emails.

Google has introduced artificial intelligence summarization for the first time in Google Docs, and Gmail is also capable of summarizing the contents of a long stream of emails.

While a similar tool in Assistant could be a great asset in terms of accessibility for people trying to grasp the gist of a long article, some obvious problems are too serious to ignore, and chief among them — the often poor and unreliable content generated by generative AI.