Google recently revealed that its Android Auto service will soon receive some thoughtful upgrades to make it simpler and less distracting for drivers to engage with their smartphones while driving, coinciding with the release of the Samsung Galaxy S24 series.

Android smartphone users can now access a variety of apps and features that would otherwise be off-limits and possibly illegal to use while driving thanks to Android Auto, which is the Google-powered version of Apple CarPlay rather than the automotive operating system on which a few contemporary automakers base their infotainment offerings.
New AI functions for Android Auto are intended to lessen driver distraction.

In order to save drivers and passengers from having to listen to a robotic voice assistant read lengthy passages of text, the most current versions use artificial intelligence (AI) to summarise lengthy texts or hectic group chats and highlight the important aspects.

To save you the trouble of listening to their amateur evaluations or ideas on tonight’s specials, the system will now identify important details, such as the restaurant, type of cuisine, and meeting time, if your friend writes a lovely message about dinner arrangements.

In a similar vein, Android Auto can summarise group chats and provide pertinent responses and actions without requiring you to pick up your phone, even if your inbox is buzzing with messages. Rerouting to a new location (chosen in the group chat) or providing an ETA to everyone might be two examples of this.

Furthermore, according to Google, Android Auto will eventually display customised design elements—like wallpapers and icons—that are stored on the owner’s smartphone on the infotainment display.

The difficulties are familiar to everyone who has tried using their preferred in-car voice assistance to respond to messages. Even with flawless diction, it is far too simple for the computerised transcriber to misspell words, phrases, or numbers, forcing the driver to start over.

Despite the fact that this innate clumsiness is frequently just as annoying as staring at a phone screen, Google’s impending upgrades should make things more straightforward.

While quick responses only need one tap rather than requiring the user to compose the complete message, AI emphasises important aspects in busy group chats to reduce the amount of time it takes to absorb the message and try to understand what’s going on.

Similar to this, reducing the amount of engagement with an infotainment system can be achieved by automatically rerouting to a new suggested meeting site or by updating an ETA with a single click. Anything that helps a driver maintain their focus on the road is undoubtedly beneficial.