The days of passively watching the news are officially over.
On Monday, at CES 2025, Google introduced the latest version of its Google TV operating system, incorporating its cutting-edge Gemini AI assistant. This innovative feature allows users to get a quick rundown of the day’s top stories with a simple command: “Play my News Brief.” Gemini utilizes its AI capabilities to gather news from trusted sources across the internet and headlines from YouTube videos posted by verified news channels, delivering a concise summary tailored to the user’s preferences.
Google plans to roll out these Gemini-powered features to both new and existing Google TV devices by late 2025.
The News Brief feature marks Google’s foray into the contentious world of AI-driven news summaries. Competing tech giants like OpenAI, Microsoft, and Perplexity are already facing legal challenges from media organizations alleging improper licensing and attribution of news content in their AI-generated summaries.
AI news summaries have been a minefield for companies. Apple recently faced backlash when its AI misinterpreted a BBC article, leading to a false claim about tennis star Rafael Nadal. Google, too, has experienced its share of AI mishaps; last year, Gemini made headlines for suggesting users put glue on pizza during a cooking guide.
Despite initial reluctance, Google has now eased restrictions on Gemini’s capabilities. Previously, the company directed users toward traditional Google Search for news inquiries. With the introduction of News Brief, however, Google has launched its first dedicated AI news product. While the feature does not explicitly display its sources, it does integrate related YouTube videos, and a Google representative confirmed that the information is drawn from a broad range of web content.
During a demo with TechCrunch, Google showcased how News Brief could summarize breaking news, such as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announcing his resignation. Another example involved a recap of events on Capitol Hill, including commemorations of the January 6 Capitol riots.
The news feature is part of Google’s ambitious vision to transform television into a more interactive medium. Upcoming Google TVs will include sensors to detect when users enter the room, creating a more dynamic viewing experience.
Additionally, users will be able to interact with their TVs using natural language commands. Whether searching for movies, TV shows, or YouTube videos, Gemini will also generate AI-powered summaries for the requested content.
