What if ChatGPT replaced Google’s voice assistant on Android smartphones? This is what a beta version suggests which allows you to launch the chatbot from the quick settings and even to question it by voice.
ChatGPT has been available on Android for several months now. Whereas previously it was necessary to systematically use a web browser to access it – with an interface far from being optimized for smartphones – the chatbot can be used directly via a dedicated application. A notable improvement for fans of artificial intelligence, who can thus more easily access the tool in just a few clicks. But OpenAI, the company that developed ChatGPT, didn’t stop there and even seems to have planned to completely replace Google Assistant with its chatbot. The proof ? In the latest beta of the ChatGPT application, on Android, it is possible to open ChatGPT from any other application, like Google’s intelligent personal assistant.
ChatGPT: a shortcut available in the quick settings of Android smartphones
As spotted by journalist Mishaal Rahman, Android expert, it will soon be possible to launch ChatGPT Voice, the voice version of the chatbot, even more quickly thanks to a shortcut placed in the quick settings pane of Android, simply by sliding your finger from the top of the screen to the bottom – such as to show the Wi-Fi, location, torch or silent mode icons, for example. The function can therefore be used even if other applications are open. In his demo video, Mishaal Rahman launches ChatGPT Voice and makes a voice query while on Twitter. It will therefore be possible to use this new function while having a press article open, a conversation in progress in a messaging application or even a video in progress. To use this tool, simply click on the icon displayed in the device’s quick settings and then ask a question out loud. After a few seconds of waiting, ChatGPT will respond to the request.
You can now talk to ChatGPT from any screen on your Android device!
With the latest ChatGPT beta update, you can now add a shortcut in your Quick Settings panel that opens ChatGPT’s Assistant overlay. This overlay can appear over any screen, letting you talk to ChatGPT no matter pic.twitter.com/hHvHGXPYWc
— Mishaal Rahman (@MishaalRahman) January 22, 2024
It is important to remember that this function is being tested in a beta version. It is therefore very likely that the response time of the tool will be shorter in the final version which will be officially deployed. At the moment, artificial intelligence is not yet able to react to what is displayed on the screen in real time. For example, it cannot translate text that is being read or even summarize a video that is being played. And the chatbot cannot yet be set as a voice assistant in Android settings. For these reasons, OpenAI’s artificial intelligence is not close to replacing Google Assistant. The latter still appears to be a less intelligent tool, certainly, but more connected since it allows you to control music, connected objects, etc. For its part, OpenAI continues to work on these limits with the aim of competing even more with Google.