Waymo Adds Gemini AI Assistant to Ojai Robotaxis as a Rider-Only Feature

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Waymo has launched a beta in-car conversational assistant called Gemini in Waymo, available to riders through a dedicated icon on the cabin screen. The feature allows passengers to use voice and natural language to adjust cabin settings, ask journey-related questions, and query general information about nearby places. Crucially, Gemini operates entirely separately from the Waymo Driver autonomous system and has no influence over driving decisions. The assistant remains inactive by default and only engages when a rider deliberately initiates an interaction, limiting its access to real-time trip data. Waymo framed the rollout, announced in July and updated in August, as part of a broader effort to enhance the in-cabin passenger experience rather than expand autonomous driving capabilities.

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