'Hey, Google' No More: The Nest Hub Max Is Getting a Workaround
The new Look and Talk feature announced at Google I/O works only when you're making eye contact with your smart display.
Google announced the new feature at the Google I/O 2022 event.
Google announced today at Google I/O a new way of interacting with the Nest Hub Max smart display, called Look and Talk. By looking at the display and speaking directly to it, you can activate Google Assistant -- without using any wake phrases like, "OK, Google" or "Hey, Google."
While Google and Amazon have previously rolled out continuous conversation features for their voice assistants, so that every question doesn't have to be preceded by a wake word or phrase, this is among the first features to allow smart displays to simply respond to questions contextually based on whether you're looking at the device.
Sissie Hsiao, vice president of Google Assistant, demonstrated the new feature on stage at I/O, and said machine learning technology helps Google Assistant distinguish between focused eye contact and a passing glance.
The Look and Talk feature will work with voice and face match technology, so Google Assistant can respond with more personalized answers. It will begin rolling out today.
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