What was Google’s virtual assistant called when it launched in 2016?

Google’s virtual assistant was called Google Assistant when it launched in 2016.

Google introduced Assistant at its I/O developer conference in May 2016. It first appeared in Google’s Allo messaging app and on the original Google Home smart speaker, before expanding to Android phones and other devices.

Assistant was designed to understand conversational requests, answer questions, control compatible devices, and perform tasks such as setting reminders. It evolved from Google Now, an earlier service that provided contextual information but was not branded as a conversational assistant in the same way.

Google Assistant is also distinct from Google Duplex, a technology announced later for handling certain automated phone conversations. The assistant’s availability and capabilities have varied by device, language, and region.