General Motors is developing a new in-vehicle artificial intelligence assistant that it claims will go beyond even Google's Gemini, the AI technology it recently rolled into its cars.
If the thought of an AI chatbot in your car already unsettles you, brace yourself, because GM wants to take things further.
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Speaking to CNBC, GM director of product management for voice and AI/machine learning Anna Santos said the automaker's new native AI assistant will be deeply integrated and combine conversational AI with GM vehicle knowledge and OnStar intelligence to create capabilities that go beyond what a general-purpose assistant can do.
Santos added that the system will understand the vehicle, the drive, and customers' needs better than Gemini does.
GM is reportedly working with an unnamed large language model provider on the technology, and it could fold in predictive maintenance along with live vehicle telemetry data, according to CNBC.
An AI That Really Knows Your Car
GM's current infotainment system runs on the Google-provided Android Automotive, and Gemini AI is being added to millions of its 2022 model year and newer vehicles this year.
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The assistant can be used for changing things like climate control settings and radio functions, in addition to offering all the same features as it does on a smartphone.
Ultimately, however, there are limits to the system's abilities as it is not a GM product and lacks knowledge about specific models from the brand, which its own AI assistant can be trained to understand.
Speaking about GM's in-house AI assistant late last year, vice president of software and services engineering David Richardson said, “it's going to anticipate your needs, offer timely help and make every journey more personable and more enjoyable.”
Sadly, neither Santos nor Richardson have provided any timeline as to when the system could be ready.
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Even once it's fully developed, it'll have to be tested extensively across the entire GM product range before being introduced.
