Google is determined to make a big bet on artificial intelligence and that means integrating it into the company’s main products. At first it was called Bard and now it is Gemini which is called to integrate into practically everything: in Gmail, in Chrome, to avoid telephone scams and of course, Android Auto is no exception. In fact, we’ve already tested it for summarizing messages with AI and were shocked by how well it worked. What we’ve seen is generally promising, but if there is a place Where Gemini will make a difference in my daily life is in the car..
Because yes, the summary of the AI message is good, but it is insufficient. Having a long message coming to you and being able to understand it and condense it to deliver the essential is the key to not getting lost while driving, but the fact is that Gemini on Android Auto should be useful for much more
AI message summary is okay, but Android Auto needs more from Gemini
Let me explain: I already talked about it my frustration with voice assistants as we know them. Regarding Google Assistant, I recognize that after more than five years of use, it only serves me for five things. Among these five, the main one is precisely with Android Auto, simply for safety reasons (not having to let go of driving) and to avoid fines.
And it’s not because on paper it can’t do much more, it’s that in practice it gets lost with long commands and natural structures, which is why inside the car I barely use it for simple and concrete tasks like changing the volume, stopping the music, to take me home and nothing else. There’s a reason it’s used so little: Google’s voice assistant fails when you talk to it person-to-person, something we’ve already seen doesn’t happen with chatbots like ChatGPT or Gemini. Yes, Google Assistant needs AI like breathing
Because the reality is that Google’s infotainment system, without being perfect, works well and has a very useful simplified interface focused on driving, but it needs to be improved in certain sections: the most important concerns Google Assistant because if we could really manage with just our voice, then Android Auto would be at the limit of the exceptional.
Serious an even more agile and above all safer experience: If the assistant doesn’t understand you, you spend more time and effort and in the end you end up reaching the panel, which is reckless and irregular. Android Auto needs a rich voice assistant that understands voice commands whether or not we’re used to talking to a machine or even paying attention to the road and may not be doing our best in terms volume, speed or vocalization. .
The message summary is just the tip of the iceberg of what Gemini could do in Android Auto. Some examples: I wouldn’t need to try as hard to ask it for certain playlists, artists or albums on music streaming services (something infuriating that makes me end up going to the radio) and it would make the use much simpler. requests as basic as asking it to take us to the cheapest gas station nearby and acting accordingly on Google Maps.
Because yes, having a voice assistant that understands what you say regardless of how you say it is important in general, but while driving it is providential: what I have already seen from Gemini is great, but I think Android Auto is where it will make the difference.
Cover | Montage with photo of Eva Rodríguez de Luis
In Xataka Android | We tested message summarization in Android Auto with AI: one small step for communication, one big step forward for security
