Waymo Integrates Gemini AI into Ojai Self-Driving Taxis

Waymo has integrated Google's Gemini AI assistant into its Ojai autonomous ride-hailing vehicles, allowing passengers to interact with it via voice through a Gemini icon on the in-car display. The feature is currently in beta testing and remains inactive until explicitly enabled by the passenger. Passengers can use Gemini to adjust cabin temperature, search for nearby points of interest (such as coffee shops), and learn about the history of landmarks along their route. Gemini operates independently from Waymo Driver—the system responsible for vehicle control—and cannot access real-time driving data or directly manage vehicle operation or route planning. However, it can receive passenger requests such as “pull over” and relay them to Waymo Driver for execution. The Ojai is Waymo’s purpose-built autonomous ride-hailing vehicle, now available to all users in Los Angeles, Phoenix, and San Francisco, with plans to expand to Denver, Las Vegas, and San Diego later this year. As the Ojai fleet grows, passengers will eventually be able to choose between the Ojai and the Jaguar I-Pace autonomous vehicles.