CNBC’s MacKenzie Sigalos reports on Google’s move to embed Gemini AI across its home devices, as tech giants rush to make voice the next major interface for AI.

The release of Open AI's ChatGPT has accelerated the development of artificial intelligence and warnings about its impact on society.

Rise of AI

Google has announced a significant update to its smart home product line, incorporating its Gemini generative AI into devices such as Nest cameras, doorbells, and smart speakers. This move is part of a broader strategy to create an AI-native hardware ecosystem, leveraging always-connected home devices to deliver more advanced voice interactions.

Amazon is also pursuing similar upgrades, with both companies aiming to make voice assistants more useful beyond basic tasks like setting alarms or checking the weather. The integration of AI is expected to enable features such as contextual understanding of home events and seamless e-commerce experiences. Analysts note that these efforts are designed to strengthen ecosystem lock-in and keep pace with competitors in the rapidly evolving AI landscape.

Google and Amazon race to upgrade voice assistants with AI

Google announcing a major update to its smart home systems, bringing its Gemini AI straight to consumers in its Nest and smart speaker devices. Mackenzie Segalos has more in today's Tech Check. Hey, Mac. Hey, Mel. So Google is giving its entire home product suite a refresh, making its generative AI tech into cameras, doorbells, and smart speakers. But the real story here is what that unlocks. This is a low-stakes testing ground for what AI-native hardware could look like. And the home is ideal. Devices are plugged in and always connected, meaning no battery constraints or the need to be mobile. And with a growing belief that the next major hardware leap could be screenless, where you talk, not tap, these home speakers suddenly matter again. Apple, Amazon, even Google were early to voice assistants, but didn't evolve at the same pace as generative AI. Now they are racing to retrofit what they already have, bolting large language models onto existing devices in a bid to stay relevant. DA Davidson's Gil Loria told me part of Google's edge is its end-to-end AI ecosystem, from its own models and cloud to tight integration with Android and Chrome. And today's home announcement shows Google's larger push to layer AI across its stack, turning voice into a deeper form of ecosystem lock-in. And that's part of why the street is buying it. Alphabet just posted its best quarterly stock performance in 20 years, as investors bet that Gemini is not just cut up to rivals, but come into the lead. Guys? How should we look at this, Mac? I mean, hardware is negligible in the scheme of Alphabet's business. So is this sort of like a loss leader to further lock people into using Gemini? It's absolutely part of the play here is ecosystem lock-in, but it's also just trying to get Gemini out into its wider product suite. We saw that Chrome integration a week ago, and now they're looking to get it not just into their phones, but also into the suite of home products. And it's a way to see whether that voice interaction really works. I mean, over at OpenAI, which is among their biggest rivals on the frontier model competition, they have been working on a hardware device. They brought Johnny Ive in-house, former Apple executive, to design a form of consumer device for Gen AI that we haven't seen before. And there's been a lot of talk that that would be screenless. Mac, trying to figure out or imagine how the Gen AI-empowered voice assistant is going to differ in terms of how a user experiences it. Is it just going to predict more things for you, or is it going to be, I guess, maybe more accurate and smarter in how it executes what you ask for? So that's why this market really stalled out in the last 10 years, because people weren't using these voice assistants to do more than set an alarm, set a timer, or ask for the weather. And even with Alexa Plus, I was talking to Gil Loria about this. He said it's a very marginal improvement, and this is supposed to be the big Gen AI upgrade. And we've seen a very limited release with Alexa Plus at this point. But to your larger question, what is this meant to unlock? Specifically with the Google Home features, they've talked about a scenario where your Nest cameras are able to kind of give you optics into your home. So you ask a question like, why is there a broken glass on the ground? And it's automatically going, looking at the footage, understanding what you mean, and then explaining the context of what you missed while you're gone. So it's really meant to be this whole home ecosystem that feeds on different inputs, whether that's sound, whether that's video, and is able to give you a thoughtful answer. Yeah, or actually tell you whether the kid's telling the truth as to who broke it. I want it to go and then fix, have the window fixed, arrange for it to be fixed. I mean, that would be really, that would be the Holy Grail when it comes to these home systems, right? Well, and that's the other piece of this. It's such a good point, Mel. E-commerce, like basically wanting to make the shopping experience baked in to a voice assistant at home. And that's something that we're seeing Amazon and Google push on. Mack, thanks. Mackenzie Segalas.

Jane Goodall, the British conservationist and researcher renowned for her work with chimpanzees, has died at age 91. The Jane Goodall Institute confirmed her death on Instagram Wednesday, saying she died of natural causes.

Los Angeles

Jane Goodall, chimpanzee researcher and conservationist, dies at 91

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Doha

Trump signs executive order protecting Qatar after Israeli strike

The Israeli military is pressing on with its offensive in Gaza, launching strikes across the territory, as Hamas weighs up its response to the U.S. peace proposal. Debora Patta reports.

Jerusalem

Middle East Conflict

Israel continues Gaza offensive as Hamas weighs U.S. peace deal

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Washington

Supreme Court to weigh Trump firing of Fed's Lisa Cook

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Odesa Oblast

Deadly flash floods hit Odesa after downpours in Ukraine's south

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Government shutdown continues after Senate votes down resolutions

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Kabul

Afghanistan imposes internet blackout

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Hamas under pressure as Trump issues deadline on Gaza peace plan

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Trump threatens to train military in U.S. cities

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Cebu

Dozens killed after 6.9-magnitude earthquake shakes Philippines

U.S. President Donald Trump and lawmakers failed to reach a funding deal, causing the government to shut down Wednesday. Tens of thousands of federal workers will be told to stay home – furloughed without pay.

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Trump puts pressure on Hamas with deadline on Gaza peace plan

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EU leaders urge Hamas to accept Trump's Gaza plan 'without delay'

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Quantico

Hegseth gathers U.S. military leaders for rare, in-person meeting

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Folly Beach

Imelda becomes hurricane, threatens dangerous conditions on East Coast

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said Monday he is ready to declare a state of emergency over the threat of U.S. "aggression," following a spate of deadly U.S. strikes on suspected Venezuelan drug boats.

Caracas

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Bad Bunny to headline Super Bowl 2026 halftime show

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Hollywood

Global Tariffs

Trump says U.S. to impose 100% tariff on movies produced overseas

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Chișinău

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Ukraine Invasion

Washington might send Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, Vance says

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Grand Blanc

Investigators look for motive in deadly Michigan church shooting

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Tel Aviv-Yafo

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Tehran

Iran parliament slams reimposed UN sanctions as 'illegal'

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Kyiv

At least four killed as Russia launches major offensive on Kyiv

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Tamil Nadu

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Hezbollah has commemorated one year since the death of its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed by Israel during their conflict. At a gathering in Beirut, the group's secretary-general Naim Qassem reaffirmed Hezbollah's refusal to disarm, despite ongoing Israeli attacks and a ceasefire agreement.

Beirut

Lebanon's Hezbollah refuses to disarm

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Google and Amazon race to upgrade voice assistants with AI

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Rise of AI