GM in-vehicle AI assistant is planned for later this year
GM says its planned native AI assistant will tie conversational AI to vehicle knowledge and OnStar intelligence, while key rollout details remain undisclosed.
By Maya Lindqvist · Senior Technology Correspondent
2 min read
GM says it will introduce its GM in-vehicle AI assistant later in 2026, aiming to connect conversational AI more closely with vehicle capabilities, telematics information, GM vehicle knowledge and OnStar intelligence. The plan could give owners vehicle-focused functions beyond the company’s current Google Gemini offering, but GM has not disclosed a release date, eligible models, price or markets.
Anna Santos, GM’s director of product management for voice and AI/machine learning, described the planned product to CNBC as a native assistant designed to go beyond a general-purpose tool. Santos did not provide the assistant’s name.
What will GM’s in-vehicle AI assistant do?
GM says the assistant will combine conversational AI with its vehicle knowledge and OnStar intelligence. Santos said the company expects it to be more deeply integrated with vehicle capabilities and telematics information than Gemini, which GM recently introduced in some vehicles.
The automaker is working with an unnamed large language model provider, CNBC reported. GM identified predictive maintenance, vehicle telemetry and other auto-focused functions as potential areas for the system, meaning the final feature set has not been confirmed.
One example under consideration is a “kids setting” that could adjust music, seat settings, heating or cooling, and door locks for children. GM has presented that function as a possible command rather than a confirmed launch feature, according to CNBC.
How would the new assistant differ from Gemini?
Earlier in 2026, GM began rolling out Google Gemini in eligible 2022 model-year and newer Cadillac, Chevrolet, Buick and GMC vehicles in the United States equipped with Google Built-in, CNBC reported. The current Gemini implementation lets users speak naturally without having to memorize commands or repeatedly supply context.
CNBC also reported that Gemini is beginning to offer conversational “live sessions,” including games such as trivia or 20 questions, and can handle some vehicle functions including temperature and radio controls. The report said Gemini generally operates in a manner similar to a phone-based assistant.
GM’s planned system is positioned differently: the company says it will draw on GM vehicle knowledge and OnStar intelligence in addition to conversational AI. Santos told CNBC that GM wants to build vehicle expertise into the assistant using information proprietary to the automaker.
What GM has not yet said
GM has not identified the model provider supporting the new assistant. It also has not announced its name, precise launch timing, vehicle eligibility, pricing, rollout markets, detailed functions, or privacy and data-handling terms. Those unanswered details will determine which drivers receive the service and how it operates in practice.
This story draws on original reporting from CNBC.