You may soon talk to Gemini AI inside Waymo robotaxis
What's the story
Waymo, the self-driving car company owned by Alphabet, is testing Google's Gemini AI chatbot as an in-car assistant in its robotaxis. The information was uncovered by researcher Jane Manchun Wong while analyzing the code of Waymo's mobile app. The document she found, titled "Waymo Ride Assistant Meta-Prompt," is a 1,200+ line specification detailing how the AI assistant should behave inside a Waymo vehicle.
Functionality
Gemini AI's capabilities in Waymo's robotaxis
The Gemini AI assistant is designed to answer questions, control some in-cabin functions like climate control, and if needed, reassure riders. This would make it more than just a simple chatbot. The system prompt also says that when a rider activates the assistant via the in-car screen, Gemini can choose from pre-approved greetings personalized with their first name.
Official statement
Waymo's response to Gemini AI integration
Responding to the report, Waymo spokesperson Julia Ilina said, "While we have no details to share today, our team is always tinkering with features to make riding with Waymo delightful, seamless and useful." She further added that some of these features may or may not come to their rider experience. This indicates that the company is constantly exploring ways to enhance its services using advanced technologies like AI.
Training tool
Gemini AI's role in training Waymo's autonomous vehicles
Waymo has previously used Gemini's "world knowledge" to train its self-driving cars for complex and high-stakes situations. The system prompts also let Gemini access and control in-car features like temperature, lighting, and music. However, it doesn't include volume control, route changes, seat adjustment or window control yet. If a rider asks for something beyond its capabilities, the bot will reply with aspirational phrases like "It's not something I can do yet."
Interaction guidelines
Gemini AI's communication and limitations
The system prompts also provide interesting details about how the bot should respond to questions about competitors like Tesla or Cruise. It is not allowed to speculate on real-time driving actions or specific events, and if a passenger asks something related to these, it will deflect. However, it can answer general knowledge questions such as weather updates or trivia about the Eiffel Tower's height.