Gemini Function Calling Proposes Actions — Your App Must Control What Happens Next

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Gemini's function calling feature allows AI models to suggest tool invocations, such as searching hotels, based on user requests, but it does not execute those actions itself. Google explicitly places the responsibility of execution on the application layer, meaning developers must build their own runtime controls. A production-ready implementation requires schema validation, user authorization checks, and policy enforcement before any proposed function call is acted upon. Model-generated arguments should be treated with the same skepticism as external HTTP requests, not assumed to be safe simply because they originate from an AI. Developers are advised to maintain a typed tool registry that encodes risk levels, timeouts, and permissions to make safety boundaries explicit in code.

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