#Google lobotomizes Home Assistant?

Google Home Assistant seems to no longer be able to repeat a response. For years, after an output that you didn't hear clearly, you could say "repeat" and, yeah, it would repeat what it just said. Now it just says, "I forgot what I just said." Very unhelpful.

My theory, and I'm sticking to it until proven otherwise, is that Google is pushing "reduced capability" in Assistant to try force people over to Gemini in the Home space -- which it routinely promotes at intervals: "You can set it up in the Google Home app!"

I'm avoiding this as long as possible, because while Assistant has been comparatively limited, the way it always sourced most answers "So and so says ..." has been extremely useful. Gemini hallucinations and garbage misinformation I don't need. I still find at least half of Gemini responses in any context to be either totally wrong, partly wrong, or just
wildly inappropriate for the query (because, hey, Google wants Gemini to say SOMETHING no matter how stupid).

And I still find AI Overviews to be incredibly invasive. If I'm searching for medical information, I (a) don't need Gemini misinformation that could make someone even sicker, and (b) I don't need Gemini making guesses about what I'm searching for and why I might be doing it. It's like having a nosy neighbor reading your searches over your shoulder and commenting on each one.

It stinks to high heaven.

L