Google Home gets upgraded Gemini voice assistant and new camera controls (arstechnica.com)

Google has announced a significant update to its Google Home platform, introducing the Gemini 3.1 voice assistant and enhanced camera controls. This upgrade aims to improve smart home management by simplifying the navigation of camera feeds and making AI-generated event labeling more intuitive. Users in the early access program can already experience the benefits of Gemini 3.1, which enhances the voice assistant's ability to interpret and execute complex, multi-step commands, a capability that was absent in earlier iterations of the technology. The update builds on Gemini's reputation for advanced reasoning, as evidenced by its improved performance in logic-based evaluations like ARC-AGI-2 and Humanity’s Last Exam. While the practical implications of such complex problem-solving capabilities for a smart speaker remain to be fully realized, users can expect a more coherent conversational experience. Moreover, the expansion of the AI-powered Ask Home feature beyond the app to the web interface facilitates easier interactions for checking camera history and creating automations, representing a notable advancement in how users engage with their smart home systems.