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 bakes AI into Android. The results are now in, and surprise: the EU says Android needs to be more open. Google, equally unsurprisingly, calls this “unwarranted intervention.”

But here’s the thing: this isn’t just posturing. The Commission could actually force Google to make changes as early as this summer. That’s not a long wait.

This all falls under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), the EU’s big stick for keeping Big Tech in check. The DMA designates seven companies — Google included — as “gatekeepers,” meaning they face extra rules to keep markets fair. Google has been complaining about these rules for years, but the law isn’t going anywhere. The Commission has shown zero interest in backing down.

So what’s the actual problem? When you fire up any Android phone with Google services, Gemini is already there, sitting pretty at the system level. It gets special treatment — the kind of deep integration that third-party AI services can only dream of. The Commission’s beef is that too many Android experiences only work with Gemini, and that as a gatekeeper, Google needs to level the playing field.

This isn’t just about choice for the sake of choice. It’s about whether a competitor can build something better but get locked out because Google controls the OS. I’ve seen this playbook before — Google’s been here with search, with Chrome, with the Play Store. AI is just the latest battleground.

Now, will the Commission actually force changes? Probably. They’ve got the legal teeth, and they’ve shown they’re willing to use them. The question is what those changes look like. Will we see a prompt asking which AI assistant to use at setup? Or will Google have to open up system-level hooks so a third-party AI can do things like read notifications, control settings, or trigger actions? That’s the real fight.

Google’s argument — that this is unwarranted intervention — feels a bit rich given their history. They’ve had plenty of chances to open up Android voluntarily. They didn’t. Now the EU is stepping in. That’s not intervention for its own sake; that’s regulation filling a gap the market left open.

I’ll be watching this one closely. If the EU gets its way, Android could look very different by the end of the year. And honestly? That might be a good thing for everyone except Google’s bottom line.