Android Auto gets new AI features aimed at reducing driver distraction
Google has timed its latest announcement with the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S24 series, revealing that its Android Auto offering will soon receive a number of choice updates to make it easier and less distracting for drivers to interact with their smartphones while they are behind the wheel.
Android Auto, the Google-backed version of Apple CarPlay and not the car operating system on which a handful of modern automakers base their infotainment offerings, allows Android smartphone users to access a number of apps and features that would otherwise be out of reach. borders and possibly illegal to use while driving.
The recent updates harness the power of AI to summarize long messages or busy group chats, picking out the most important points so the driver (and passengers) don’t have to listen to a robotic voice assistant reading out huge chunks of prose.
For example, if a friend eloquently messages you about dinner plans, the system now picks up key points such as the restaurant, type of food, and meeting time, saving you from having to listen to their amateur reviews or suggestions about tonight’s specials.
Likewise, if your phone pings with a flood of group messages, Android Auto can summarize the chat and then offer relevant replies and actions, without you having to pick up your phone. This could be rerouting to a new location (determined in the group chat) or notifying everyone of your expected arrival time.
In addition, Google says Android Auto will soon reflect personalized design elements housed on the owner’s smartphone, such as wallpapers and icons, which will then appear on the infotainment display.
Advice: driven by distraction
Anyone who’s tried answering messages via a favorite in-car voice assistant knows the pitfalls. Despite perfect diction, it is all too easy for the digital transcriber to misinterpret words, sentences and numbers, forcing the operator to start all over again.
This inherent clumsiness is often as distracting as looking at a phone screen, but Google’s upcoming updates will hopefully make things simpler and easier.
The fact that AI highlights key points reduces the time it takes to record busy group messages and try to decipher what’s going on, while replies to shortcuts require one tap, rather than having to record an entire message from scratch set.
Likewise, automatically redirecting to a newly suggested meeting point or updating an estimated arrival time with a single click reduces the amount of interaction with an infotainment system. Anything that keeps the driver’s eyes on the road is certainly a good thing.