Google Assistant is now in 5,000 smart-home devices

As far as Google is concerned, there's no place like home. Ahead of its I/O Developer conference next week, Google announced that its artificial-intelligence-fused Google Assistant is now connected to more than 5,000 devices in the home, up from 1,500 in January. The idea is that you'll be able to summon the Google Assistant and issue voice commands, to preheat the oven, see who is at your front door, or dim the lights. The list of cloud-connected smart home products where the Google Assistant has an increased presence includes cameras, thermostats, security systems, vacuums, washers, and air conditioners. Of course, with the smart home rapidly emerging as one of the next key battlegrounds for tech, this very same vision is being laid out by Amazon with Alexa, Apple through HomeKit and Siri, Microsoft with Cortana, and Samsung via SmartThings and Bixby.