During the I/O conference held yesterday, Google unveiled its intention to integrate its AI chatbot, Gemini, into a range of platforms, including automobiles. Following this announcement, Volvo declared its ambition to be among the first automakers to implement this new technology.
Volvo has revealed that it is enhancing its existing collaboration with Google. The Swedish car manufacturer was an early adopter of the Android Automotive operating system, and it will now integrate Gemini throughout its vehicle lineup. With this integration, drivers will have the opportunity to engage in more intuitive conversations with their vehicles, including features such as language translation, navigation assistance, and retrieval of specific locations. Additionally, they can pose questions regarding their vehicle’s user manual. Volvo aims to simplify the driving experience, allowing motorists to maintain their focus on the road.
Drivers will be able to have more “natural” conversations with their car.
Earlier in the month, Google announced that Gemini would soon be accessible in vehicles that support Android Auto, its widely-used phone mirroring application. While users of Android Auto will gain access to Gemini in the coming weeks, those with vehicles outfitted with Android Automotive, branded as Google built-in, will have to wait until later this year for availability.
Both drivers and passengers will be able to utilize Gemini to send texts, obtain directions, play music, and perform functions that Google Assistant currently offers. The key distinction is that users can communicate with Gemini using more natural language instead of relying on formal, programmed commands.
In addition, Volvo will take on the role of one of Google’s reference hardware platforms for the innovation and evaluation of upcoming automotive technologies. This collaboration implies that Volvo vehicles will receive “new features and updates” from Google before they are incorporated into the broader Android codebase.
“Through this partnership with Google, we are able to bring the very latest features and capabilities from the leading consumer eco-system into our products first,” stated Alwin Bakkenes, head of global software engineering at Volvo Cars. “With our expanding partnership, we’re collaborating on cutting-edge solutions that shape the future of connected cars.”
Volvo has maintained a close partnership with Google for several years, consistently standing at the forefront for product updates, which already include enhanced maps, built-in YouTube functionality, and voice-activated climate control systems. Polestar, once a performance subbrand of Volvo but now a separate entity, was the inaugural manufacturer to offer vehicles equipped with the native Android Automotive OS.
Google’s developer conference, hosted at the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, California, revolved around its chatbot, Gemini. The automobile is becoming an increasingly vital platform for this technology, particularly given the unique challenges presented by navigating a complex environment in a large vehicle.
Google is promoting Gemini as an integral component of the vehicle’s operating system. “Navigation applications can seamlessly integrate with Gemini using three core intent formats, which enable users to initiate navigation, display pertinent search results, and execute custom actions, such as reporting traffic issues vocally,” explained Ben Sagmoe, a developer relations engineer, on the Android Developers Blog.
