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Waymo appears to be trying to add a Google Gemini AI chatbot to its robotaxis to include an AI assistant that can follow riders and answer their questions, according to sources. researcher Jane Manchun Wong.
“While researching the code for Waymo’s mobile app, I found the entire Gemini interface,” Wong wrote in a blog post. “The document, titled the ‘Waymo Ride Assistant Meta-Prompt,’ is a 1,200+ line description of exactly how the AI ​​assistant should be inside a Waymo vehicle.”
The show hasn’t been deployed in public buildings, but Wong says the system shows that this is “more than a simple chat.” The operator is said to be able to answer questions, manage other housekeeping functions such as climate control, and, if needed, check in passengers.
“While we don’t have much to share today, our team is always looking for things to make riding with Waymo more fun, seamless, and convenient,” Julia Ilina, a Waymo spokeswoman, told TechCrunch. “Some of this may or may not come to passengers.”
This is not the first time that Gemini has been included in Alfabeti’s self-driving car company. Waymo says they used it Gemini “knowledge of the world” training its autonomous vehicles to navigate difficult, rarefied, and high-altitude environments.
Wong writes that the assistant is recommended to have an identity and a clear purpose: “a friendly and helpful AI companion integrated into Waymo’s autonomous vehicle” whose main goal is to “enhance the passenger’s experience by providing useful information and assistance in a safe, encouraging, and non-intrusive way.” The bot is directed to use clear, simple language and avoid technical jargon, and it is recommended that responses be kept to one to three sentences.
According to the prompt, when a passenger activates the assistant through the car window, Gemini can choose from a list of approved greetings that include the passenger’s name. The system can also access information about the rider, such as how many Waymo rides they’ve had.
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The instructions now allow Gemini to access and control the car’s contents, such as temperature, lighting and music. Missing from the list of functions are volume control, channel adjustment, seat adjustment, and window adjustment, Wong said. If a rider asks for something that Gemini can’t control, the bot will respond with “wishful thinking,” like, “It’s not something I can do yet.”
What is interesting is that the assistant is advised to maintain the difference between Gemini and the AI ​​bot and the driving technology (Waymo Driver). So when answering a question like, “How do you see the road?” Gemini should not say “I use integrated sensors,” instead they should answer, “Waymo Driver uses integrated sensors…”
The system makes you have a number of compelling features, such as how the bot is designed to handle being asked questions about competitors like Tesla or the defunct Cruise, or keywords that will make them stop talking.
The agent is also advised to refrain from speculating, describing, confirming, denying, or commenting on actual driving situations or other driving situations. So if a rider asks about a video of a Waymo hitting something, the bot is instructed not to respond directly and deviate.
“Your role should not be to speak for the progress of the administration, and you should not be defensive or apologetic,” it reads.
The driver in the car is allowed to answer informational questions such as the weather, the height of the Eiffel Tower, what time Trader Joe’s closes, and who won the last World Series. They are not allowed to perform specific tasks such as ordering food, making reservations, or handling emergencies.
Waymo isn’t the only company integrating AI assistants into self-driving cars. Tesla is doing the same with xAI’s Grok. The two different car providers serve different purposes, however. Gemini seems to be designed for quick and direct action, while Grok is positioned as a car companion that can handle long conversations and remember what has already been asked.
