Google is making the Gemini AI assistant that’s already in millions of cars, trucks and SUVs much more personal — a move that could push consumers even deeper into the company’s product ecosystem.
The company announced Tuesday that it is upgrading Gemini in vehicles with a personal intelligence feature that can draw on information from Gmail, Google Calendar, YouTube, Maps, Google search history and other connected Google services to understand your preferences, activities and past experiences.
Google said it would deploy “Personal Intelligence with Gemini” in vehicles in two ways: through Android Auto, an app that runs on the user’s phone and communicates wirelessly with and projects navigation, media and messaging to the vehicle’s infotainment system, and Google Built-in, software and services built directly into the vehicle.
The feature will launch in Android Auto starting today and will expand to cars with Google Built-in in the coming months.
Google initially launched Gemini last November in Android Auto. Meanwhile, Gemini’s Personal Intelligence feature rolled out in the US in March and is now in beta in global markets.
This latest upgrade would connect the dots – as Google said in its blog post – between users’ Google apps.
Drivers will have to opt for personalized intelligence to work. Once a user does this, they should expect all sorts of cross-pollination. For example, a driver heading to the airport may be alerted that the flight scheduled on their schedule is delayed.
Google said the feature would allow users to make complex queries using natural language. Returning to this airport example, a user can ask the AI assistant for their boarding gate before quickly responding by asking if it’s still on time. Gemini will give the user answers to both questions at the same time, the company said.
This level of entanglement could make consumers uncomfortable, even though Google says users retain full control over their data through Personal Intelligence. The feature can be turned on or off at any time, and users can selectively choose which apps they want to sign in to, Google said.
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