Google's Gemini AI Assistant Prepares for Android Auto Integration: Potential and Challenges

Here's an early peek at Gemini Live working on Android Auto (APK teardown)

Right now the interface feels unfinished, and Google may further tweak how drivers access Gemini Live. It's a sign of the times: More and more capable AI models are making their way into more and more corners of our lives. And while that's not a shift that's happening without controversy, it's also one with the potential to be quite empowering. One specific place where we've been tracking the growing presence of AI is in our vehicles, excited at the potential they have to help with everything from navigation to keeping us entertained on the drive.

Android Auto is about to get a big Gemini upgrade - and there's good news and bad news

Google has been busy pushing Gemini into as many of its apps and devices as it can - from smartphones to email - and now it looks as though the AI assistant is about to make its debut on the Android Auto car dashboard platform too. The team at Android Authority was able to get Google Gemini up and running on Android Auto, though the feature doesn't seem to be widely available yet. It may be some time before the upgrade is officially introduced, along with a Google announcement. It's actually something of a surprise that it's taken this long for Gemini to make its way to Android Auto, considering that it's pushed its way into so many other parts of the Google ecosystem, primarily at the expense of Google Assistant. This early look gives us a good idea of how Gemini will fit into the Android Auto interface, with an 'Ask Gemini' bar appearing along the bottom of the in-car display whenever you're chatting with the digital assistant. We'll let you know as soon as Google announces an official roll-out schedule. The Android Authority report does mention that Gemini responses seem "somewhat generic" and not all that useful at the moment - navigation requests don't factor in your current location or different travel options, for example. That perhaps indicates that this is still a work in progress for Google, with more refinements on the way before it goes live for everyone - after all, it's pretty essential for an AI helper to know where in the world you are when you're using it in your vehicle. Another area where Gemini came up short in Android Authority's testing was with listing nearby food places. While it offered up a lengthy list, it didn't plot the places on a map, which would be a lot more useful for drivers and passengers. The AI bot was able to play songs from Spotify and managed other "routine tasks", and did well managing natural conversations about all kinds of topics - including the weather and famous landmarks - just as it would on the web or on mobile.

Gemini might be gearing up for an Android Auto takeover

Google tries a questionable new tactic to promote Gemini in Google Messages Summary From its initial web-based form as Bard, Gemini has rapidly evolved into a versatile AI assistant, now integrating across various devices and poised to enter Android Auto. Recent tests reveal Gemini's functionality within Android Auto, showing the potential to replace Google Assistant, though current iterations require refinements for optimal in-vehicle use, particularly in location-based queries and map integration. Gemini on Android Auto demonstrates strong performance in basic tasks and conversational interaction. What started out as Bard all the way back in February 2023 has transformed into Gemini, a full-fledged AI assistant, in the span of two years. Not only can the model integrate with other apps to answer your queries, help you brainstorm, and complete tasks on your behalf via text, it can also do so via voice. The tech giant's Gemini Live, on the other hand, aims to offer the same functionality, but in a way more conversational manner. After being limited to the web, Gemini has expanded to a smorgasbord of surfaces, including smartphones, tablets, earbuds, TVs, and potentially on Wear OS wearables soon too. What's next? Android Auto is the most plausible option. Related What is Android Auto? Hey Google, how's the traffic to work? Posts 1 Earlier this year in January, Google was spotted working on integrating the AI assistant into Android Auto, and although Gemini wasn't active on the surface at the time, we did get a pretty good idea of what the feature would look like once active. Now, the folks over at Android Authority have been able to trigger Gemini on the in-vehicle display operating system, highlighting the AI assistant's functionality. For what it's worth, the live implementation looks exactly like the screenshots seen in the past, complete with a dedicated Gemini AI mic button on the bottom right, and the blue and purple hue at the bottom edge to indicate that the AI assistant is listening or speaking. Gemini on Android Auto isn't available to try out yet In the video example, we get to see a version of Gemini that doesn't necessarily appear to be optimized for in-vehicle queries, acting similar to its implementation on mobile. Gemini on Android Auto was tasked with planning a trip under a specific budget, and although it was able to answer, complete with trip duration, a budget breakdown, and how to travel, the answers weren't necessarily location-specific and/or optimized for an in-vehicle assistant. Maybe that's not within Gemini on Android Auto's scope, but it sure could be a welcome addition. The AI assistant was then asked to "play something on Spotify," a task that it was able to complete within seconds. Other queries, including questions about the weather and general facts, also yielded conversational and detailed results. According to Android Authority's report, the AI assistant was also asked for nearby restaurants. While Gemini was able to list some options, it omitted highlighting them on the in-vehicle display's map, which could be a solid addition to Gemini's feature set on Android Auto. Essentially, Gemini might serve as a replacement for Google Assistant on Android Auto. Whether it offers a better experience, however, remains to be seen. Related 15 essential Android Auto apps every driver and passenger needs Going for a drive? Take these apps with you Posts 1

Gemini in Android Auto Gets Demoed

We may earn a commission when you click links to retailers and purchase goods. More info. Google's push to integrate Gemini into its services continues, with Android Auto apparently next on the list. The service was able to get demoed recently running on a smartphone and not an actual head unit in a vehicle, but it gives us a good idea of what to expect when a wider rollout takes place. Thanks to Android Authority, who got Gemini up and running for all of us to see in the video below, we can see the AI handles the usual tasks with ease. However, it's not quite as smart as one might hope, at least in its current form. For example, when asked to find restaurants, it didn't actually place them on a map. Similarly, when asking about planning a trip with a specific budget in mind, it didn't provide travel option details outside of the car. It spoke of public transportation, but didn't give specifics, like we're able to see in Google Maps. It's completely possible that these things can improve over time, and since it's not yet live, we won't freak out too bad. On the bright side, Gemini appears to be perfectly conversational and able to handle simple tasks, such as playing music on Spotify, with ease. Check out Gemini running inside Android Auto below.

Google Is Bringing Gemini to Android Auto, and It Sounds So Annoying

It's bad enough we don't have buttons in the car anymore. Now we have to deal with talkative chat bots? Gemini is coming for every part of your Google-led life, whether you like it or not. It's even en route to the car, which I definitely do not like. Once it officially rolls out, I hope we'll understand how to use Gemini from behind the wheel. The current demonstration of what it's capable of doesn't instill much hope in me. The sleuths over at Android Authority dove into some code and activated the dormant Gemini capability tucked inside a build of Android Auto. In the video, which you can watch on YouTube, the site asks Gemini to plan a trip within a budget. Its answer is super generic and distinctly unhelpful for someone steering a vehicle. They also asked for food recommendations, and while Gemini could help with restaurants, there was no follow-through on the Maps display to show you where to go. The demonstration also shows what the Android Auto interface will look like after adding Gemini to the mix. A little indicator at the bottom of the screen will show that the AI is available to invoke. I imagine it'll also be available through the integrated button in the steering wheel, just like Google Assistant is now. Android Authority says the build of Android Auto it tested was spoofed on a smartphone rather than part of a car's head unit. Nothing we saw in this video is finalized software, and Google hasn't even officially declared that it's here to stay. But still, I'm worried. It's been such a frustrating reality driving a car in this new age. I've already complained about the dongle in my old car, which is almost useless. I started receiving pop-up messages about Google Assistant's impending deprecation immediately after writing that story. The Android Auto experience with the software built into the dash of my Subaru isn't a walk in the park, either. It works most of the time for things like dictating messages and getting a clear direction to a specific place, but I still struggle to get it to point out gas stations along my route home versus behind me, where I came from. If I ever want to do anything that specific with a voice command in the car, I typically pull over to handle it instead. It's too frustrating and distracting to use it the way it is now. Gemini will hopefully be genuinely conversational. I want to be able to ask it to find me a gas station on my route that doesn't require a significant detour off the main highway. I want to be able to say those exact words and have it understand my wants and needs. I've been poking around with the chatbot recently, mainly in the browser, to get acquainted with this new tool I'll inevitably have to adopt as an Android user. I noticed that if I change how I ask a question, or keep it super specific to the situation, I can get Gemini to catch on to where I need it to go and receive a helpful response. I wonder if the Android Authority demonstration asked the right questions. For instance, I wouldn't have asked it to do the trip planning from inside the car. I'd ask instead for something more specific based on location, like, "Help me find the McDonald's closest to a gas station along my route." That's the kind of thing I'd ask in the car and hope to get a computer's help with. And that's the specific, location-based usage case that would get me to accept that cars don't have as many buttons as they used to. I hope that's what Google has planned for Gemini in the car, whenever it launches.