On Monday, at the CES 2025 exhibition, Google unveiled the latest version of its TV operating system. This update integrates Google's Gemini AI assistant, designed to deliver daily news summaries to users. By simply asking Gemini to play a "news briefing," the AI gathers stories from internet headlines and trusted YouTube news channels, generating concise summaries that help users quickly grasp important events of the day.
Google plans to roll out this new Gemini feature to both new and existing Google TV devices by the end of 2025.
The introduction of the news briefing function signifies Google's official entry into the AI news summary space, an area fraught with risks for tech companies. Firms like OpenAI, Microsoft, and Perplexity are currently facing legal challenges from multiple media organizations over their AI systems' use of news content without proper permissions or attributions.
As more technology companies venture into AI news summarization, they must also address the issue of misinformation generated by AI. For instance, Apple's new AI summary tool once misinterpreted a BBC news article, incorrectly reporting on tennis champion Rafael Nadal's sexual orientation. Similarly, Google's Gemini AI had previously provided misleading information, suggesting users apply glue to their pizzas.
Although Google initially approached AI news summaries with caution, favoring user guidance through Google Search, it is now easing restrictions on Gemini. While Gemini has started offering news summaries, the news briefing appears to be Google's first AI product focused solely on news. It's worth noting that the news briefings do not display sources but show relevant YouTube videos. A Google executive told TechCrunch that the sources for these briefings extend beyond YouTube video titles to include information from across the web.
Google TV's news capabilities are part of a broader vision to transform how people interact with their televisions through Gemini. The company aims to make TV experiences more interactive, with new models featuring sensors that detect when users enter the room.
Additionally, Google announced that users will be able to ask their TVs about shows, movies, and YouTube videos using natural language, with Gemini creating AI-generated summaries for these contents.
