Android Auto will have Google Assistant summarize your messages with AI

Google is working on having “Assistant summarize your busy conversations” and messages when you’re using Android Auto. 

About APK Insight: In this “APK Insight” post, we’ve decompiled the latest version of an application that Google uploaded to the Play Store. When we decompile these files (called APKs, in the case of Android apps), we’re able to see various lines of code within that hint at possible future features. Keep in mind that Google may or may not ever ship these features, and our interpretation of what they are may be imperfect. We’ll try to enable those that are closer to being finished, however, to show you how they’ll look in case that they do ship. With that in mind, read on.

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When driving, it’s fine to have one or two messages read aloud, but hearing more than that, such as every response in a group conversation, could be disruptive. Android Auto’s solution to that is having Google Assistant “summarize your messages” — specifically “busy conversations” — with AI.

Assistant can now summarize your messages. These summaries will be generated by artificial intelligence, so it’s possible there could be mistakes. You can turn this off any time in Android Auto Settings. Would you like to continue and have assistant summarize your busy conversations?

During the set-up process, Google warns that: “These summaries will be generated by artificial intelligence, so it’s possible there could be mistakes.” This is presumably referring to SMS texts and RCS chats from the Google Messages app.

You’ll be able to turn this feature on/off in Android Auto Settings, which we enabled below, along with Android Auto’s Developer options in the screenshot next to it:

Strings describing this capability appeared in version 14.52 of the Google app, which is currently in beta. It’s unclear when this will launch.

Various Google products already offer a summarize feature, but the closest comparison is Google Chat’s ability to recap Spaces and help you get caught up to speed on a group conversation:

Thanks to JEB Decompiler, from which some APK Insight teardowns benefit.

Dylan Roussel contributed to this article.

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