Google Gemini could soon control Android apps on your phone — but here's why I won't be partaking

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Agentic capabilities are one of the next big things in AI, and would see AI agents working more independently and without as much direct user involvement. Naturally, Google is hard at work trying to boost the agentic features in Gemini, and a new report details how this would see the AI assistant controlling apps on Android devices.

This may be exciting news for some, but as someone who remains skeptical of AI and handing over too much control to machines, this is the last thing I want running on my phone.

How would an agentic Gemini work on Android?

This upgrade was spotted in the latest version of the Google app beta (v17.4) by 9to5Google. Dubbed "Get tasks done with Gemini," the idea is that Google's AI will offer "screen automation" in "certain apps". Effectively meaning you will be able to hand over certain functions to Gemini rather than having to do it all yourself.

According to the report, this will initially be available as a Labs feature that can book ride shares or place orders on your behalf.

According to the report, this will initially be available as a Labs feature that can book ride shares or place orders on your behalf. Though it will presumably expand to other apps and services in the future.

The uncovered code also warns that "Gemini can make mistakes" and that the user is "responsible for what it does on [their] behalf, so supervise it closely." Users will also be given the option to manually take over at any time.

This last point is where many of my reservations lie, and two more comment strings further cement my dislike of this whole idea. Those strings confirm that the screenshots Gemini takes when it interacts with an app "are reviewed by trained reviewers and used to improve Google services if Keep Activity is on."

The comments also note that users should not "enter login or payment information into Gemini chats" and that they should "Avoid using screen automation for emergencies or tasks involving sensitive information." Which makes sense, because your interactions with Gemini aren't private. Not if you have your activity history saved, at any rate.

I don't need (or want) machines doing stuff for me, thanks

Google Gemini logo on smartphone

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

I've always made it clear that I don't really give a hoot about AI on my phone. Some of the features are genuinely quite useful, particularly the photo edits, but I have absolutely zero enthusiasm for all the other features and functionality that phone companies are cramming into their devices.

Not just for obvious privacy reasons, but also because I genuinely prefer getting things done myself. Regardless of whether it takes me a few seconds longer or if I have to physically walk across the room to grab my phone, it's not exactly a burden I need to outsource to Gemini, Alexa, Siri or any number of other AI assistants that may be available.

In my experience, using my voice doesn't always feel like I'm saving time anyway. By the time I've got Gemini to actually get what I wanted done, I could have been halfway done if I just did it myself — and without having to shout "Hey Google" for it to figure out I need assistance.

And while comparing Gemini to Siri isn't exactly fair, given how weak Apple's voice assistant actually is, the issues my wife has with Siri only increase my resolve in this argument. The number of times she has to shout "Hey Siri" just to set an alarm is, frankly, ridiculous.

Not to mention the fact that doing stuff myself means I stay fully in control of the whole process. I see all the options available and have complete control over anything that actually gets done, with no room for misinterpretation. Plus, should anything actually go wrong, I only have myself to blame.

No shifting it onto a faceless machine, or the people who designed it.

But my feelings don't really matter, do they?

Gemini and ChatGPT logos on a phone — (Image credit: Shutterstock)

No matter how much I don't like over-reliance on AI in my own life, that's not going to stop stuff like this from happening. Google is going to keep pumping out new and more advanced features for Android, even if they are initially locked behind a premium subscription.

I imagine it won't be long before AI has infiltrated phones to the extent that they'll be able to do just about everything for you. Heck, we already have devices that promise to do this for you, and even if the current AI bubble bursts, it feels as inevitable as Thanos snapping his fingers. Seeing how readily people have adopted AI into their daily routine, against my better judgment, Google would be crazy not to.

All I can do is make sure all the superfluous stuff I don't like is switched off — as I've done with the Pixel 10's Magic Cue feature. I anticipate that "Get stuff done with Gemini" will eventually end up in that same pile when it launches. And I imagine I'll be in the minority.

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Tom is the Tom's Guide's UK Phones Editor, tackling the latest smartphone news and vocally expressing his opinions about upcoming features or changes. It's long way from his days as editor of Gizmodo UK, when pretty much everything was on the table. He’s usually found trying to squeeze another giant Lego set onto the shelf, draining very large cups of coffee, or complaining about how terrible his Smart TV is.

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