EU tells Google to open up Android AI; Google calls it ‘unwarranted intervention’

Back in January, the European Commission kicked off what it calls a “specification proceeding” — basically, a formal investigation — into how Google has baked AI into Android. The results are now in, and surprise: the EU thinks Android needs to be more open. Google, equally unsurprisingly, calls this “unwarranted intervention.” Neither reaction is shocking at this point.

This is all happening under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), the EU’s sweeping regulatory hammer that designates seven big tech companies as “gatekeepers” and subjects them to extra rules meant to keep competition fair. Google has been fighting these regulations since day one, but the DMA isn’t going anywhere. The commission has already made that clear with fines and mandates on other gatekeepers.

At the heart of this latest probe is Gemini‘s privileged position on Android. Fire up any Google-powered Android phone and Gemini is right there, baked in at the system level. It gets special treatment that third-party AI services can only dream of. The EU’s argument is straightforward: as a gatekeeper, Google can’t give its own AI an unfair advantage by locking out competitors from key system integrations.

The commission wants Google to open up those system-level hooks so that third-party AI assistants can do the same things Gemini can — things like setting alarms, sending messages, or controlling device settings directly. Right now, those capabilities are largely reserved for Google’s own AI. If the commission gets its way, Google could be forced to make changes as early as this summer.

I’ve been watching the DMA play out for a few years now, and this feels like a natural next step. The law was designed to prevent exactly this kind of self-preferencing. Google’s argument that this is “unwarranted intervention” rings hollow when you consider how much control it exerts over the Android ecosystem. The company already had to offer a browser choice screen in Europe and allow third-party app stores. Opening up AI hooks is just the latest front in a long war.

What’s interesting is how this could actually benefit Android users. More competition among AI assistants means better features, more privacy options, and potentially lower costs. I’d love to see something like a truly local AI assistant that doesn’t phone home to Google’s servers. But we’ll have to see how this plays out — Google has deep pockets and a lot of lawyers.

For now, the ball is in the EU’s court. If the commission pushes ahead, Google will have to make some real changes to Android. And if history is any guide, the DMA doesn’t back down easily.