AI seems to have infiltrated every facet of the tech industry at this point, and there’s been no escaping it. Google has been particularly aggressive with its Gemini AI, adding it to just about every Android-centric device you can imagine — with one notable exception.
If you’ve ever driven around with Android Auto switched on, you may have noticed that Gemini is nowhere to be seen. All the voice commands are routed through Google Assistant which, while useful, is still incredibly limited. To the point where I get increasingly frustrated every time I need to use it.
Needless to say rumors that Google could be adding Gemini to Android Auto have filled me with some hope. Because anything is an improvement over what Google currently offers.
Google Assistant isn't cutting it
I’m not really one for using voice commands in day-to-day life. I find it a lot simpler to just pull out my phone and get the job done, rather than waiting for an assistant to go through the motions of doing it for me. But that all goes out of the window when I’m driving.
Because I’m supposed to be keeping an eye on the road, and the other maniacs driving around, using my phone the normal way is not a good idea. Not only is it illegal where I live, it’s downright irresponsible. Considering how much runs though my phone (and Android Auto), voice controls become completely invaluable.
More so since I can toggle them with a button on my steering wheel, rather than having to shout “Hey Google” every time I want to get something done.
But given my repeated issues with Google Assistant in my car, I’m sure having to use a wake-up word every time would have me ripping my hair out in no time. Considering male-pattern baldness runs in my family, that’s something I should avoid.
It feels like the only thing Google Assistant can get consistently right is navigation, assuming it can actually understand where I want to go. Everything else can be really hit and miss.
The worst is when dealing with text messages. For those that don’t know, Google Assistant can read out text messages on Android Auto and then asks you if you want to dictate and send a reply. The problem is that no matter which option I choose, Google Assistant gets stuck at the very last stage.
Choosing to send a reply has the Assistant confirm a message is correct, and whether I want to send it. The assistant seems to have very few issues transcribing what I want to send these days, which is certainly an improvement from days gone by. But somehow it fails to register that I’ve said “yes” I do want to send that message.
The same is true if I initially respond “no”, and I feel like I have to bellow at the screen to acknowledge what I want — only for it to continue ignoring me.
Early glimpses of Android Auto’s Gemini don’t look great
It’s been no secret that Google has been working on getting gemini up and running in cars. We heard rumors about the possibility of it happening last year, and over the course of the past few months Android Authority has uncovered various pieces of Gemini software in the Android Auto app.
They were even able to get Gemini up and running in a car early last month. Only the performance was not that great.
Android Authority found that Gemini was mostly focussed on offering generic suggestions, rather than taking the fact you’re in a car into consideration. When asking the AI to plan a trip with a specific budget it even suggested taking the train “from your nearest train station” rather than utilizing current location data.
Gemini was also asked to find places to buy food in the local area, and the Ai was able to list off a number of different options. Sadly it failed to take the car into account again, and did not show the chosen spots on Google Maps.
That’s certainly not the AI future we’ve been promised, and only feels like an exaggerated version of what Google Assistant has been able to do for years. In fact that’s exactly what Android Authority’s conclusion was, the fact that Gemini was best positioned to take over from your typical Google Assistant features.
Bear in mind that this is essentially an early access version of Gemini that users were never supposed to be able to access. It’s more than possible that what we’ve seen is unfinished, and hopefully the final version can understand the context of you being in a car and want car-centric responses.
Hopefully we won’t have to wait long
The good news is that Android Auto seems to be getting more Gemini groundwork with each passing update. Considering Google typically makes a lot of big AI announcements during the Google I/O keynote, which is already scheduled for May 20, it means we probably don’t have that long to wait.
If that means I can talk to my phone in the car at a reasonable volume, and not have to repeat myself at an ever-increasing volume, then I am all for it. Personally I don’t even mind if Gemini only replaces Assistant and offers little else.
If that can ease my frustrations, and make voice controls in my car actually work the way they’re supposed to, then I will be happy. All those other AI features would just be a bonus.
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