Your Android phone might use ChatGPT instead of Google Assistant soon

New Delhi,UPDATED: Jan 8, 2024 17:25 IST

2023 was all about AI and the year 2024 is expected to follow suit. While we saw AI chatbots like ChatGPT, Bard, and Bing getting launched in the last two years, this year seems to be dominated by the developments in these AI tools. While a number of new features are expected for Bard in the coming months, ChatGPT isn't far behind in the race.

If reports are to go by, accessing the AI tool by using your phone might even get easier with time. A report in Android Authority says that a new feature might be in the works that will allow you to talk to the AI chatbot directly, without having to manually open the ChatGPT app. This is similar to Google Assistant, as it can be toggled by saying 'Ok Google'.

While we are still unsure if ChatGPT will completely replace Google Assistant in Android phones, reports suggest a strong possibility of the same.

The report says that a new version of ChatGPT, labelled as version 1.2023.352, was released recently. As part of this update, they introduced a new activity called com.openai.voice.assistant.AssistantActivity.

This activity is turned off by default. If you manually enable and start it, a display overlay with a swirling animation, similar to the in-app voice chat mode, appears on the screen. Unlike the in-app voice chat mode, this overlay doesn't cover the entire screen and can be seen over other apps. It seems like you should be able to talk to ChatGPT from any screen by using this assistant. However, in the testing done by the publication, the animation was never completed, and the activity closed itself quickly, preventing interaction with the chatbot. This could be due to the feature not being finished yet or being controlled by some internal setting.

The report also added that there is some indication that the feature might not be fully ready. This is suggested by the fact that the code needed for the app to function as a "default digital assistant app" is only partly implemented.

The report further said that this feature could also require ChatGPT Plus subscription, the premium version of the AI chatbot.

With that being said, it is important to remember that ChatGPT hasn't officially announced any such feature yet and that this feature might never be released at all as it is still in the early stages of development.