AI is definitely taking over the world. The new Google Auto update now brings AI to your cars. For the uninitiated, Android Auto is an app for car dashboards. It helps mirror your smartphone and bring some apps to your dashboard so you don’t have to use your phone.
This app recently got a few AI-powered updates. The core goal of the update is to increase driver safety and reduce distractions.
For starters, Android Auto can now understand an incoming message and summarize it for you! Meaning, when you receive a text, it doesn’t dictate the text. Rather, it summarizes the text and only narrates the core meaning of what’s written. You don’t have to check your phone for the message, or type replies!
Here’s an example, I text my friend “Hmmmmm, are you going to the party hahahah”? My friend’s Android Auto will tell him “Jyoti wants to know if you’re going to the party”.
It also has automated responses. These are generated based on the received text. All you have to do is tap the response you wish to send.
I love the features it added to the maps feature. When we’re driving, quite often we’re driving to a friend or to meet someone. The AI can now detect when someone’s asking how long it’ll take you to reach the destination. Then, in a single tap, you can share your ETA.
If the message you receive contains a location, in a single tap you can bring it up on your navigation!
On the “less AI more aesthetic” side, on some devices, Android Auto can now import wallpapers and icons. This means your car dashboard will look just as personal as your phone. This also shows Google’s care for customer feedback as for quite a long time car owners have been asking Google to allow third-party wallpapers.
These are just some of the newer updates. We can’t begin to imagine what the world will look like in the next 5 years.
