GM is developing its own in-vehicle AI assistant since Google’s Gemini does not have access to the information available in the car.

      TL;DR: General Motors plans to introduce a proprietary AI assistant later this year that surpasses Gemini by integrating with OnStar, vehicle telemetry, and predictive maintenance. The large language model provider remains unnamed. Gemini will continue to be available.

      General Motors will be releasing its own in-vehicle AI assistant later this year, designed to access data that Google’s Gemini cannot reach. This system will connect with OnStar, GM’s telemetry systems, and proprietary vehicle information to provide predictive maintenance, real-time diagnostics, and automotive-specific commands that a general-purpose assistant cannot offer. GM is collaborating with an unnamed large language model provider for this technology.

      “There are limitations to what an AI that exists only at the vehicle's surface can accomplish,” stated Anna Santos, GM’s director of product management for voice and AI. Gemini was introduced in eligible 2022 and newer GM vehicles earlier this year, managing conversational inquiries, climate, and radio functions. The new GM assistant will delve deeper, capable of recognizing the vehicle's mechanical condition, driving habits, and owner preferences. Santos mentioned a “kids setting” command that would adjust music, seating, climate, and door locks all at once.

      The commercial implications are significant. Gemini acts like a phone assistant displayed on the dashboard, while GM’s proprietary system utilizes data exclusive to GM, not Google. “This is data that will belong to GM,” Santos noted. Google has been incorporating AI into each of its products, and GM's decision to create a parallel system rather than depend entirely on Gemini demonstrates a similar concern raised by Nadella about companies relying entirely on a single AI provider.

      GM is not eliminating Gemini; both assistants will coexist. The Gemini system manages general inquiries and entertainment, while the GM system handles all vehicle-specific knowledge. GM is also advancing its autonomous driving technology toward readiness for robotaxis, and an in-vehicle AI equipped with predictive maintenance and telemetry is vital for fleet management in autonomous operations. Santos referred to this as “the beginning of a broader AI journey.” The unnamed large language model provider indicates that GM is keeping its options open for the system's backbone, steering clear of the single-vendor reliance established by its partnership with Gemini.