I put Google's 24/7 AI assistant Gemini Spark to work, and it's actually pretty useful

Google just launched Gemini Spark, a 24/7 AI assistant that actually stays active in the background instead of waiting for you to ask it questions. Think of it as Gemini that doesn't need you to remember it exists.

The assistant can handle practical stuff like summarizing your inbox, planning local events, and managing everyday tasks automatically. It's the kind of ambient AI that tech companies have been promising for years, except this one apparently works without being annoying about it.

Here's the weird part: nobody seems to know why this is a separate product. Google already has Gemini, which is perfectly capable of doing these tasks. Making users choose between two similar AI assistants feels like classic Google product confusion.

For people already using AI tools at work, Spark could save time on repetitive tasks that you'd normally have to prompt an AI to do manually. The automation angle is genuinely useful if you're tired of asking ChatGPT or Claude the same questions every day.

The real test will be whether Spark can run continuously without draining your battery or spamming you with notifications. Persistent AI assistants sound great until they become another thing demanding your attention every five minutes.