Assistant-branded feature swept out by Google Messages

As Google shifts its emphasis on artificial intelligence toward using technology for lofty, long-term goals, the firm has grown disenchanted with the Assistant nameplate for the small amounts of assistance consumers receive outside of the Google brand. In a sense, Google Assistant on the web is broken. Google Messages appears to be the most recent location where Assistant has vanished.

The icons (weather, restaurants and movies) that were visible in + menu, which you can see and check while drafting a message are now unavailable.

Need another illustration?

The four tiny Google-colored dots that were previously there in the Suggestions area of the app’s settings are no longer there. Google Assistant used to advise what to say based on the context of the discussion. These recommendations include the previously mentioned details, such as where to eat, the weather where you are, and what movies are playing.

Additionally, it appears that a replacement for Google Assistant’s suggestions is in the works because settings pages for “Spotlights” have surfaced on 9to5Google. They appear to perform the same function as the Assistant ideas, but there is an additional toggle for including location data in those suggestions.

There is no information on when or when this switch-out will go into effect, but consider this another step in Google Assistant’s slide in popularity.