One of the primary Android Auto benefits is the hands-free interaction with apps, phone calls, and messages, as the integrated digital assistant allows you to control the essential capabilities with voice commands.
With voice commands, drivers can focus on the road and still interact with what happens on the screen. Google Assistant allows users to set up navigation, make a phone call, answer an incoming call, send a new message, and play a song in a media app.
One of the most useful features is Google Assistant's ability to read the received messages. When a new message lands on your mobile device, the digital assistant displays a notification on Android Auto, letting you listen to the message and respond with a relevant answer.
Android Auto uses smart replies to suggest relevant answers according to the message content. For example, if someone tells you they'll be late for a meeting, Android Auto can suggest a reply like "No problem, see you there."
Now, Google is pushing the experience with messages on Android Auto to a new level.
The company announced in January that Google Assistant will get artificial intelligence integration to create message summaries and read them to the user.
The feature's purpose is simple yet brilliant. Some people send several long messages that take a while to read and could eventually distract the driver, even if Google Assistant reads them. With artificial intelligence, Google Assistant reads all messages and creates a summary that includes only the essential tidbits. It reads the summary to the driver, allowing them to focus on the road without missing important information.
Here are the five most important things about AI-generated messages and how they work.
Not all messages are summarized.
Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution
Google Assistant puts the AI engine to work only if you receive one long message or multiple messages from the same sender or group.
If the messages you receive come from different contacts or groups, Google Assistant will read them individually, like it does today without artificial intelligence.
Additionally, if you receive messages from different applications, such as WhatsApp, Telegram, and Facebook Messenger, Google Assistant handles them as separate conversations. It won't generate summaries, reading the messages one by one.
How to enable AI summaries.
Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution
Google will offer two ways to enable the AI-generated message summaries on Android Auto.
First, Android Auto will prompt you to enable AI-powered messages when you receive a message that's long enough to require a summary.
If a long message (or multiple messages from the same contact or group) meets the requirements, Android Auto displays a notification to request approval to allow Google Assistant to create the summary.
If you don't want to wait for the request, you can enable the summary from the settings screen on Android Auto.
Only available in certain languages and regions.
Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution
The message summaries are only available for users who run Google Assistant in English, but the feature should expand to more languages in the coming months.
Google also limits the support for certain regions and countries, and despite no specifics available in this regard, it's safe to say that the United States will be supported.
The search giant also claims the AI summaries will come with a device requirement, albeit the company hasn't shared specifics. Google Pixel phones and Samsung flagships, including the Galaxy S series, will likely be supported.
The long messages.
Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution
How long should a message be to qualify for a summary? Google says every message with at least 40 words will be considered long enough to require a summary.
The same thing will apply to multiple messages from the same person. If they total over 40 words, Google Assistant generates a summary.
However, keep in mind that these messages must come from the same person or group. If you receive several messages in a row, their length no longer counts, as Google Assistant reads them one by one.
No data is logged.
Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution
Privacy-conscious users might be concerned that Google would use their messages and the generated summaries to train its AI engine.
The search giant guarantees this isn't the case, as Google Assistant won't log messages or summaries. As a result, the data won't be used to train the LLM engine.
As with everything else running on AI power, the generated summaries might not be perfect on every occasion, so if something doesn't sound right, it's because the engine didn't work correctly. You can always disable message summaries if you believe the feature is too buggy and you'd rather have Google Assistant read messages individually.
The AI summaries have already appeared for some Android Auto users, but the broad availability phase is yet to be reached. Google will enable the feature for all users later this year, as the rollout currently takes place in stages via a server-controlled method.
Bogdan keeps an eye on how technology is taking over the car world. His long-term goals are buying an 18-wheeler because he needs more space for his kid’s toys, and convincing Google and Apple that Android Auto and CarPlay deserve at least as much attention as their phones. Full profile
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