The automaker says a native assistant combining conversational AI with OnStar intelligence will launch later this year
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Anna Santos, GM's director of product management of voice and AI/machine learning, said the new assistant will combine conversational AI with GM vehicle knowledge and OnStar intelligence. "Later this year, we'll be launching a more deeply integrated native AI assistant that combines conversational AI with GM vehicle knowledge and OnStar intelligence to create those capabilities that go beyond what a general purpose assistant can do," Santos said.
Santos described the new system as having a deeper connection to the vehicle and its telematics data than Gemini, whose capabilities she characterized as constrained by its position in the stack. "There's a limit to what an AI that's just sort of sitting at the top level of the vehicle can do," she said. GM is working with an unnamed large language model provider on the technology.
Santos said the assistant would be able to better understand the vehicle, the driver, and customer needs, with potential features including predictive maintenance, vehicle telemetry monitoring, and commands such as a "kids setting" that would adjust music, seats, heating and cooling, and door locks for children. She declined to disclose a name for the product.
The Gemini assistant, which GM announced is now available in millions of 2022 model-year and newer vehicles, allows drivers to issue spoken requests in plain language and supports hands-free control of certain vehicle functions, including climate settings and audio. GM said Gemini is also rolling out "live sessions," a mode that enables more free-flowing dialogue or lighthearted activities like trivia. GM had previously signaled that a proprietary AI assistant would follow Gemini's rollout, though the company offered no specifics about what that product would look like, according to CNBC.
"It's data that's going to be proprietary to GM, and our goal is to make sure that we're bringing the right technology forward to enable us to build the deep vehicle expertise that we want to be able to bring to the AI assistant," Santos said.
GM separately reported second-quarter revenue of $48.03 billion earlier this month, raising its full-year profit targets for the second time in 2026. The company said digital services revenue climbed 20% during the quarter.
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