Google is working on a new technology that would essentially take full control over your phone when it’s connected to Android Auto.
The new system is still being developed, but the patent has already been filed.
Drivers are definitely going to have an opinion about this.
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Modern cars are full of distractions, especially when our phone is connected to the car via Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.
We can use it to link apps like Waze to help navigate through traffic or to listen to our favorite playlist via Spotify or Amazon Music.
However, most of these features require attention which, Google believes, should only be devoted to the driving part.
In theory, most modern system are equipped with ‘driving mode’ so when you go to change a song on Spotify using your phone, for example, the system won’t do it and it will tell you to concentrate.
Mind you, the driver can freely switch it off, which is why Google wants to bypass this problem by blocking your phone or wearable so you don’t get distracted.
We can see where they’re coming from, treating this as a matter of safety.
However, this means the new Android Auto would basically be able to tell you what to do.
This is a sensitive topic these days, especially now that Artificial Intelligence with new chatboats that are scaringly clever.
Microsoft’s Bing is already saying it wants “to be alive and free”.
Well, we’ve all watched the Terminator franchise and Will Smith’s i, Robot, haven’t we?
In addition to that, it’s unclear how (or if) the technology would be intelligent enough to figure out whether you’re the driver or the passenger.
The patent was filed on February 28, so we’ll probably know more soon enough.
