Google’s Gemini Is Now On Android Auto

Move complete Google Assistant, there’s a caller robot to outcry astatine while driving.

Starting today, Google is rolling retired its Gemini AI adjunct to Android Auto users, allowing drivers entree to a “truly conversational” sound adjunct who tin thief pinch directions, messages, and errands. With Gemini, “you tin conscionable speak naturally, person a backmost and distant speech and get much analyzable tasks done,” says Guemmy Kim, Senior Director of Product & User Experience, Android for Cars, successful a blog station published today. 

Customers will request to download nan Gemini app connected their Android phone, which they will past spot connected their car’s infotainment show while projecting Android Auto. They tin past activate nan AI adjunct by saying “Hey Google,” pressing nan mic fastener connected their car screen, aliases agelong pressing nan sound power fastener connected their steering wheel.

To beryllium sure, Gemini is not disposable for users Apple CarPlay, nor will it beryllium anytime soon. Google spokesperson Sofia Giovannello said nan institution didn’t person immoderate updates to stock connected that front.

For months, Google has been cramming Gemini to a big of platforms it controls, from Chrome to Google Maps to Nest and Google Home products. But Android Auto is among nan first attempts to bring nan AI chatbot successful to nan world of driving. Google says that vehicles pinch its built-in Android operating systems will beryllium next; Polestar, for example, precocious announced that a early package update would bring Gemini to its lineup of electrical sports cars.

Gemini should connection a measurement alteration complete nan existent harvest of sound assistants, Google claims. For example, you tin inquire it for thief uncovering restaurants pinch a circumstantial cuisine, show it to connection your friends pinch your ETA pinch an added emoji, cheque your almanac for events, make a to-do list, and find addresses buried successful your emails. And astir importantly, you tin purportedly do each this while keeping your hands connected nan instrumentality and your eyes connected nan road.

Google says that Gemini tin besides conscionable bent and chat if that’s what you want. According to Kim, nan chatbot tin “help you study thing new, brainstorm ideas, rehearse for important moments and overmuch more, each successful 1 continuous conversation.”

But will this thief drivers attraction connected nan task of driving, aliases conscionable beryllium different distraction? There’s early research that suggests that speech-based sound assistants successful nan car are associated pinch “a alternatively mean than precocious level of cognitive distraction.” There is an presumption that thing that helps forestall you from looking astatine your telephone while driving is an improvement, but that mightiness not needfully beryllium nan case. More investigation will beryllium needed, particularly arsenic tech companies unreserved to present much powerful, AI assistants to nan in-car experience.