Some say that Google had it first. Others say that Apple had it before Google even thought of it. Whether Google came before Apple or Apple came before Google has yet to be discovered. What can be surmised is that Apple came out with Siri not too long ago, and now (whether it was conceived before this news or not) Google is developing a Siri-type AI program called Google Assistant.

The news about Google’s Android team working on Google Assistant originally came from BoingBoing, but what’s more important is how Google Assistant will work, when it will officially launch, and how it’s different from Apple’s Siri. Most of the answers to these questions are speculation-based (or “strong source” based), but you can get a fairly good idea of what Google is up to by putting the pieces together. So, let’s get down to the details (well, the ones that are known yet), shall we?

Google Is Looking to Incorporate

Reports state that Google Assistant will be much more than a simple app. Instead, Google’s new AI development will be built directly into Google itself – let me explain. When asking Google Assistant a question (say, “what is the weather like in Brazil?”), Google Assistant will then draw information from the Google search engine. In addition, other bits of information that Google Assistant needs to function will be taken from Google’s other services (like Google Plus). Basically, all Android users who purchase Google Assistant equipped phones will be hooked into Google from all angles all the time.

The other major difference between Google Assistant and Siri is that Google (in the spirit of sharing) will open up Google Assistant to Android developers at large. So, anyone who creates an Android app will be able to integrate Google Assistant into that app – clever, isn’t it? As you can see, Google Assistant (if the rumors are correct, that is) will be very different from Apple’s Siri. Now, I bet you’re wondering when Google Assistant will be ready for public use and when you can get your hands on it, right?

Release Date Speculations

According to BoingBoing, Google is expected to release Assistant in the fourth quarter of this year, so sometime this summer. Once it’s released, I’m sure it will be the talk of the tech world. For now, Google’s Android team is hard at work making sure that the new Google Assistant is absolutely perfect (we don’t want any RIM fiascos, now do we?).

If you pay attention to tech news over the next few months, I’m certain that more bits and pieces regarding Google’s new Assistant will start to pop up. Whether Apple came up with Siri first or whether Google has been working on Google Assistant far before Apple even though of artificial intelligence isn’t really worth debating. What’s really critical here is that technology is evolving at such a rapid pace, it’s hard to keep up with current happenings – and the news of an Android AI program is, really, quite exciting.