Google is officially retiring its iconic digital assistant this year. The company will replace it, of course, with Gemini, its generative AI bot.

In the smart home, we'll likely use Gemini the same way we used Google Assistant, except it will hopefully be more precise in its answers and able to make more suggestions about home management. While many AI integrations may be behind the scenes, the average homeowner will see this more as a rebrand than anything else.

After just nine years, Google is moving Assistant to the graveyard. Last fall, Google announced it was officially replacing Assistant, the default Android assistant on your phone, with Gemini. You still had the option to use Assistant, but now that option is ending and users must move to Gemini.