Google is extending its Gemini AI assistant to Android Auto, bringing its conversational system into more vehicles as part of the company’s broader push to distribute the tool across its ecosystem. The rollout allows drivers to issue natural voice commands for tasks such as navigation requests, messaging, and basic organizational chores. While the company frames Gemini as a more capable, context-aware helper than its existing voice tools, the practical value will depend on how well it performs in real driving conditions, where accuracy and minimal distraction matter more than novelty.
Using the assistant requires the Gemini app on an Android phone, after which the interface appears on the vehicle’s infotainment display when Android Auto is active. Drivers can trigger it through a wake phrase, the on-screen microphone icon, or the steering wheel’s voice control button. Despite its availability on Android Auto, there are no plans to support Apple CarPlay, leaving iPhone users out of this particular expansion.
The move is part of a steady effort to place Gemini across products such as Chrome, Google Maps, and Google Home devices. Extending the assistant to vehicles with built-in Android operating systems appears to be the next stage. Automakers like Polestar have already announced their intention to integrate Gemini into future software updates, suggesting that in-car AI systems will likely become a standard element of new models over the next few years.
Google outlines a broad set of abilities for Gemini on the road, including locating restaurants by cuisine type, sending ETA updates, checking calendars, organizing tasks, and pulling details like addresses from email. The assistant can also carry on casual conversation or help users rehearse ideas, blending productivity functions with more general AI-driven dialogue. These features are presented as ways to streamline tasks without requiring drivers to look away from the road, a long-standing goal for in-car interfaces.
Yet the introduction of more advanced voice assistants raises questions about safety. Research on speech-based systems in cars suggests they create moderate cognitive load, even when users keep their hands on the wheel. The assumption that voice interaction is inherently safer than screen-based interaction is not fully supported by evidence, and the growing complexity of AI assistants may introduce new forms of distraction. As companies accelerate the integration of conversational AI into vehicles, independent studies will be essential to determine whether these tools genuinely support driver focus or simply shift attention from one type of stimulus to another.
