General Motors to Launch Proprietary In-Vehicle AI Assistant This Year

DETROIT — General Motors plans to launch a proprietary in-vehicle artificial intelligence system that's better tailored for its customers later this year.

The new GM AI assistant is expected to be more integrated with the vehicle as well as its capabilities and telematics information than the company's recently launched Gemini AI assistant from Google , according to Anna Santos, GM director of product management of voice and AI/machine learning.

"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," she told CNBC.

GM last year announced the Gemini AI bot would launch this year in millions of 2022 model-year vehicles and newer, followed by a GM AI assist, but did not provide additional details on the technology.

Santos said the new GM assistant, which she declined to disclose a name for, will be able to better "understand the vehicle, the drive and our customers' needs, and make everyday ownership simpler."

With Gemini, customers can speak naturally without memorizing commands or repeating context. It also is beginning to offer "live sessions" in which the bot will speak conversationally or play games such as trivia or 20 questions. It also can control some aspects of GM vehicles, such as temperature and radio controls, but in general operates as it would through a phone.

"This is the beginning of a broader AI journey for us," Santos said. "There's a limit to what an AI that's just sort of sitting at the top level of the vehicle can do."

The Detroit automaker is working with an unnamed large language model provider on its technology to assist GM and its owners with predictive maintenance, vehicle telemetry and other more auto-focused features.

That also could include commands such as "kids setting" that would tailor music, seats, heating/cooling and door lock controls for children.

"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.