Yes, there must have been a very recent major upgrade released in Google's search/AI engine and interaction with our queries. I've had Android Auto (which uses Google) from Day 1, and until last week, if I asked it anything not directly related to my driving map, destination, time, etc., it responded with, "I don't understand".
Yesterday, while driving on a 7+ hour journey, I happened to ask Android Auto (Google) a question about a musical group that started in 1970, and is still playing/touring today. My question was answered, and then we embarked on a 40+ minute conversation about the group, it songs, it members over the decades, and how those different members affected the overall themes of the music played by the group. I learned a few things, and I suspect that Google learned a few thing from our interaction. It was a really pleasant and informative way to spend 40+ minutes behind the wheel.