Apple plans to allow third-party voice-controlled AI apps in CarPlay, bloomberg Report. Siri is the default voice assistant for things like controlling music and looking up directions, but future AI apps in CarPlay could handle complex, open-ended requests that Siri can’t answer.
Expanded support will let developers like OpenAI or Google offer versions of their ChatGPT and Gemini apps for CarPlay. Similar functionality is possible by simply connecting a smartphone to the car over Bluetooth and using the AI app’s voice mode, but CarPlay support would likely make the process a bit more intuitive.
However, it is not intuitive enough to replace Siri. bloomberg Writes that these third-party apps won’t be able to replace the Siri button in the CarPlay interface or use their own wake words (“Hey Google,” etc.). Instead, anyone who wants to spend a long drive talking to Gemini will have to open the app first. This may cut into the usefulness of using one of these apps, but Apple likely wants to get Siri to a place where CarPlay users prefer it as their in-car assistant.
Apple and Google recently announced that Gemini will power future versions of Siri and the Apple Foundation Model, the AI models that underpin Apple Intelligence. The delayed, updated version of Siri Apple introduced with Apple Intelligence in 2024 is supposed to be able to take actions on the user’s behalf, work on apps, and understand the context of what’s on the screen, all things Gemini can currently do. Reports suggest that Apple wants to use Google’s Gemini model to eventually turn Siri into a proper conversational chatbot. A future version of the voice assistant may be available in CarPlay at home.
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