Google’s Gemini Gains First Agentic Capabilities, Marking New AI Milestone

Google’s Gemini AI is now capable of “task automation,” a form of agentic behavior that lets the model initiate and navigate third‑party apps on a user’s device, according to a report by The Verge. The feature debuted on a limited set of hardware – the Pixel 10 series and Samsung’s Galaxy S26 lineup – and currently supports only a handful of services, including Uber, DoorDash, Grubhub and a few grocery‑delivery partners. When a user asks Gemini to “get me an Uber to the Palace of Fine Arts,” the model opens the Uber app in a virtual window, fills in the pickup and destination, and presents the completed request for the user to confirm. The user must still tap “request” to finalize the ride, but the heavy lifting of navigating the UI is handled autonomously by Gemini.

The automation flow is driven by what Google’s Android ecosystem president Sameer Samat calls an “intelligence system” vision for Android, rather than a traditional operating system. Samat told The Verge that the capability is a stepping stone toward a future where Android can execute complex, multi‑step tasks without explicit user input, leveraging both Google’s own app‑function framework and the broader “MCP” (Mobile Computing Platform) that developers have been exposing since 2024. In the current rollout, Gemini relies on a combination of built‑in reasoning (the Gemini 3 model) and app‑specific hooks; where those hooks are absent, the model attempts to infer the necessary clicks and selections by observing the app’s UI in real time.

The move places Google in direct competition with other AI‑driven assistants that have begun to offer similar “agentic” features. Reuters noted that Google is positioning AI agents at the core of the Gemini update, a strategy that mirrors efforts by OpenAI and Microsoft to embed autonomous task execution into ChatGPT and Copilot, respectively. However, Gemini’s approach is distinct in its tight integration with Android’s app ecosystem, allowing the assistant to operate within the native environment of a device rather than relying on external web‑based plugins. This could give Google a latency advantage and tighter control over data flows, a factor that may appeal to enterprise customers wary of cross‑platform privacy risks.

Developers have expressed mixed feelings about the new capability. Samat warned that app makers will need to decide how to expose actions to the AI, noting that “the question for the developer community is … how do we figure out the right ways to embrace it together?” The Verge highlighted concerns that automated interactions could bypass promotional prompts—such as Uber’s “sign up for Uber One” offers—potentially reducing revenue streams for partners. Google’s response, as reported, is to support both native app‑function hooks and a fallback “learn‑by‑observing” mode, ensuring that the assistant can still operate even when developers have not provided explicit integration points.

For consumers, the immediate benefit is a smoother, more proactive assistant experience on supported devices in the United States and South Korea. Early reviewers observed that Gemini can not only launch an app but also reason about alternatives—choosing a different restaurant if the preferred menu item is out of stock, or prompting the user when multiple ride options are available. While the feature remains a preview, its rollout signals Google’s intent to make Gemini the central hub for everyday digital tasks, a shift that could reshape how users interact with their smartphones and how app ecosystems evolve around AI‑mediated workflows.