Through the reveal of the brand new version of Gemini, Google has already unveiled new features and functionality, specifically aimed at drivers.
As a first, the upcoming Volvo EX60 will allow Google's Gemini assistant to directly access the car's external cameras and interpret the world around it in real time.
Through a special video presentation at Google's I/O conference, as you can see below, you can see that Gemini can use the car's onboard cameras to observe and analyse its surroundings.
During Google I/O demos, the system identified San Francisco's Transamerica Pyramid, explained nearby surroundings and translated street signs written in foreign languages. The feature effectively turns the EX60 into a rolling version of Google Lens, only deeply integrated into the vehicle itself through Android Automotive and Volvo's new AI-focused "HuginCore" software architecture. Volvo says the system relies on multimodal AI understanding combined with onboard computing hardware from Qualcomm and Nvidia.
Naturally, reactions online have been... mixed. Some users are fascinated by the idea of context-aware AI in cars, while others are already worried about privacy, data collection and overreliance on AI systems for everyday driving tasks. One Reddit commenter bluntly wrote: "How do I disable that?" while another joked that modern cars are becoming "phones on wheels."
