Google's Task Automation Brings Gemini to Real-World Apps on Pixel 10 and Galaxy S26

Google has launched a new task automation feature for its Gemini AI assistant, bringing it to the Pixel 10 and Samsung Galaxy S26 series devices. The feature allows Gemini to autonomously navigate and interact with popular apps like Uber and DoorDash, marking a significant step toward practical AI agent capabilities on mobile devices.

The announcement comes as part of a broader wave of AI integration announcements from both Google and Samsung during their respective device launches. While Samsung unveiled its Galaxy S26 series with new agentic AI capabilities, Google's task automation feature represents a more focused approach to enabling AI to perform real-world tasks through existing applications.

How Task Automation Works

The feature leverages Gemini's multimodal capabilities to understand app interfaces and perform actions on behalf of users. According to reports, the AI can navigate through app screens, fill out forms, and complete transactions without requiring users to manually interact with the application interface. This includes tasks like ordering food delivery through DoorDash or booking rides through Uber.

This approach differs from traditional voice assistants that can only provide information or trigger basic app functions. Instead, Gemini's task automation can handle multi-step processes that require understanding context, making decisions, and adapting to different app layouts and workflows.

Technical Implementation

The feature appears to work by combining computer vision with natural language understanding. Gemini can "see" what's on the screen through the device's camera or screen sharing capabilities, then interpret the visual information to determine what actions are available and appropriate. This allows it to handle variations in app interfaces and respond to changes in real-time.

For security and privacy, the system likely requires explicit user permission for each task and may implement safeguards to prevent unauthorized actions. The automation is designed to work within the boundaries of what users could manually accomplish through the apps themselves.

Industry Context

This launch represents part of a broader trend toward AI agents that can perform tasks autonomously rather than just providing information or assistance. The mobile device market has been moving toward more capable AI integration, with both Google and Samsung investing heavily in agentic AI capabilities for their latest flagship devices.

However, the feature also raises questions about the future of app interfaces and user interaction patterns. If AI agents can reliably perform tasks through apps, it could reduce the need for users to learn complex app interfaces or navigate through multiple screens to complete common tasks.

Limitations and Considerations

While the feature represents a significant advancement, it likely has limitations in terms of the complexity of tasks it can handle and the apps it supports initially. The automation may work best with popular, well-structured apps and could struggle with less common applications or highly dynamic interfaces.

The introduction of such capabilities also brings up important considerations around user control, error handling, and the potential for AI to make mistakes in sensitive contexts like financial transactions or personal communications.

Market Impact

The feature could influence how users interact with their devices and what they expect from AI assistants. By demonstrating practical, real-world utility beyond simple queries or commands, Google may be setting a new standard for what constitutes a truly helpful mobile AI assistant.

For Samsung and Google, this represents a key differentiator in the competitive flagship smartphone market, where hardware improvements have become increasingly incremental and software/AI capabilities are becoming primary selling points.

The success of task automation could also influence how other app developers design their interfaces and whether they optimize for AI agent interaction alongside traditional user interfaces.