Researcher: Waymo will add the Gemini AI assistant to driverless cars - ForkLog: cryptocurrencies, AI, singularity, future

# Researcher: Waymo to Add Gemini AI Assistant to Driverless Cars

Alphabet-owned company Waymo is testing Google’s Gemini chatbot in its driverless robotaxis. It will accompany passengers and answer questions, writes researcher Jane Manchun Wong.

Waymo is working on Gemini AI in-car assistant

They tried to hide it from the app, but here’s the full 1200-line system prompt pic.twitter.com/weh1EBPj7y

— Jane Manchun Wong (@wongmjane) December 24, 2025

“By studying the mobile app code, I discovered a system prompt for an unreleased Gemini integration,” — Wong wrote in her blog.

The found Waymo Ride Assistant Meta-Prompt document is a specification of over 1200 lines that defines the behavior of the AI assistant in the vehicle.

The feature is not included in public versions, but according to Wong, it “clearly indicates that this is something more serious than a simple chatbot.”

The assistant can answer questions, control some in-cabin functions like climate control, and soothe passengers.

“We cannot disclose any details. Our team is constantly working to improve features so that trips with Waymo are pleasant, seamless, and useful. Some of these solutions may be implemented in our system, some may not,” — Waymo spokesperson Yulia Ilina commented.

Alphabet has previously integrated Gemini into its tech stack. Waymo has used “world knowledge” LLMs to train autonomous vehicles for navigation in complex and risky scenarios.

Wong noted that the assistant should have a clear identity and purpose: “a friendly and helpful AI companion whose task is to enhance the passenger experience by providing useful information and assistance in a safe, calming, and unobtrusive manner.”

Among the vehicle functions currently inaccessible to Gemini are volume control for music and seats, route changes, and window management.

The prompts include responses regarding competitors like Tesla, and conditions for ending conversations. The bot should avoid speculation about driver actions or events during the trip.

The assistant can answer general questions such as weather, the height of the Eiffel Tower, or the closing time of a local store. It is prohibited from performing actions like ordering food or making reservations.

Traffic Light Issues

Waymo is one of the leading players in the driverless robotaxi business. The company has been developing this area since 2020, but not without incidents.

On the evening of December 20, 2025, the firm suspended its robotaxi operations in San Francisco. The reason was a widespread power outage, which caused autonomous cars to get stuck on city streets.

Users posted photos and videos of traffic incidents: groups of cars with their hazard lights on blocking traffic, creating disruptions to the flow.

“The power outage was a large-scale event that led to a transportation collapse across San Francisco. Traffic lights were not working, and there were disruptions in public transportation. We are working to adapt our technology to such conditions,” — Waymo representative commented.

The company stated that the autopilot is capable of crossing intersections even when traffic lights are out. However, the scale of Saturday’s outage led to prolonged robotaxi downtime: vehicles took much longer to analyze the road situation.

On December 21, Waymo resumed service. However, three days after the incident, it suspended operations again, citing an update “to respond to future power outages”.

“We have always focused on developing Waymo Driver for real-world conditions, including infrastructure failures,” — the blog states.

Recall that in December, Tesla launched driverless taxis without controlling drivers, but without passenger transportation for now.