Google's AI Assistant Is Now in Cars: What That Means for Drivers

Google has started building its Gemini AI assistant into cars made by Mercedes-Benz and Volvo. The company is also adding AI features to Google Maps and to the software that runs vehicle infotainment systems—the screens and controls inside the car. This marks a shift toward having AI help manage what you see and control while driving.

AI Helping Mercedes Customers

Mercedes-Benz is using Google's Gemini to answer customer questions about their cars. If you own a Mercedes and want to know when your next service is due, or how to use a particular feature, you can ask Gemini through text or voice. The system runs on Google's cloud servers and learns to understand what you're asking.

Google presented this partnership as a blueprint that other luxury car brands could follow. The idea is that AI can handle routine customer questions faster than a human representative, freeing up people for more complex issues.

AI Inside the Volvo

Volvo is taking a different approach. The company has built Gemini directly into its EX90 electric vehicle, allowing drivers and passengers to speak to the AI assistant through the car's touchscreen and speakers. You can ask it about navigation, how to adjust settings, or information about places nearby—all without picking up your phone.

This works differently from Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, which simply mirror what's on your phone to the car's screen. Volvo's system runs its own software (called Android Automotive) built into the car itself. This allows Gemini to access information about the car's location, driving conditions, and your preferences in real time.

Google Maps Gets Smarter

In October 2024, Google added Gemini to its Maps app. Instead of typing a search, you can now ask Maps questions out loud. You might say "Where can I get coffee nearby?" or "Show me restaurants with outdoor seating." Google Maps on Android Automotive—the version built into some cars—also includes these voice features, so drivers can get directions and recommendations without taking their eyes off the road.

Tools for Software Developers

Google released instructions and code samples to help software teams build their own AI-powered car applications. These tools let developers create apps that understand spoken questions about vehicle data, customer preferences, and inventory. For car companies building new services, this means they don't have to create AI assistants from scratch.

The broader question here is whether Google's approach will reshape how cars work. We have seen this pattern before: when smartphones arrived, companies that could integrate software with hardware more tightly gained an advantage. Right now, Google is embedding Gemini deep into car software rather than just adding it as an app on top, which could make it harder for automakers to switch to different AI systems later.

Legal and Market Questions

Google faces a lawsuit over the Gemini name. A San Francisco AI company sued Google in September 2024, claiming it already owned the trademark for Gemini-related services. The case is ongoing, but Google continues rolling out Gemini across its products regardless.

At the same time, Google announced free access to Gemini for 505 million users of Reliance Jio, an Indian mobile network, for 18 months. In emerging markets where many people buy their first cars and smartphones around the same time, this kind of program could shape how people expect to interact with vehicles.

Why Automakers Care

For car companies, using Google's Gemini offers a shortcut. They get access to tested AI technology without having to build their own, which saves time and money. The trade-off is that their cars become more dependent on Google's systems and cloud services, which raises questions about data privacy and whether automakers want Google to be such a central part of their product.

Automating routine customer service tasks and making navigation simpler are genuine improvements for drivers. Whether embedding Google's AI this deeply into vehicles serves consumers long-term, or serves Google's business interests, depends partly on how much control automakers retain and how transparent Google is about how data flows. These are questions worth watching as the technology spreads to more brands and to lower-priced cars.

What Comes Next

Google is starting with luxury brands like Mercedes and Volvo, where the cost of new technology is less of an obstacle. Embedding AI into car software requires powerful processors and lots of memory, which adds expense. As hardware becomes cheaper, we may eventually see Gemini in mainstream vehicles. For now, this is still a technology mainly for high-end models.

The shift toward AI-first car software is real, and Google is positioning itself as a central player in that transition. That will reshape relationships between car companies, software suppliers, and the technology giants that supply the AI.