- Volvo will be the first automaker to use Google's Gemini AI assistant.
- The Swedish company said an update is coming later this year.
- Gemini will replace Google Assistant.
Voice assistants in cars usually suck. They sound choppy, and it’s infuriating when you have to repeat the same command three times in a row, only to have it say, “Sorry, I don’t know what you mean.”
Google, the t chgiant that used to be all about search, wants to change the way in-car voice assistants work. And Volvo will be the first automaker to benefit from the improvements, with the Swedish company’s models first in line to get the new Gemini AI chatbot.
The new feature will come as a software update to Volvo models running Android Automotive OS, such as the EX30, EX40 and EX90 electric crossovers. These cars already have Google Assistant built in, but that will be replaced by Gemini, which is more powerful and allows drivers and passengers to send texts, translate messages and find specific locations on Google Maps in a more natural way. They can also control certain car features, too, like the climate control temperature.
Volvo was one of the first automakers to ship its cars with Google’s Android-based software, and now that relationship will benefit both sides. Volvo will act as one of Google’s reference hardware platforms for the development and testing of future automotive-grade technology, as noted by The Verge. In other words, Volvo cars will get new features and updates before they’re added to the main Android Automotive 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,” said 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.”
Gemini promises natural-sounding conversations that aren’t limited by certain commands, so the experience should be akin to speaking with a human instead of giving orders to a machine.
Volvo models with Google built-in will get Gemini toward the end of the year. Older Volvos that have the Sensus infotainment system won’t get the feature, but there is a workaround. If the driver or one of the passengers has an Android smartphone, Gemini will show up on the car’s main screen if the phone is connected through Android Auto.
Google said Android smartphone users will get access to the new AI assistant in the coming weeks, so earlier than cars with Android Automotive. That said, Gemini through Android Auto–that’s the mirroring system similar to Apple’s CarPlay–won’t be able to control any of the car’s functions.
