Google is preparing to transform the driver experience in General Motors (GM) vehicles with Gemini next year. Gemini will go beyond being just a voice command system and will act as an artificial intelligence assistant that can communicate naturally with the driver. It will be able to understand what the user means from the context and will be sensitive to accents and commands coming with different expressions. GM plans to integrate this artificial intelligence into its own vehicles in the first place.
Gemini will make many operations before and during driving faster and more intuitive. For example, the air conditioner can be turned on before the vehicle starts, and the heater can be activated before the engine warms up. In addition, it can also make some suggestions based on the driver’s past usage data. In addition to all this, possible malfunctions will be detected early thanks to the system’s direct access to vehicle data. The driver will be notified of this situation in a timely manner, thus minimizing unexpected service needs. Despite everything, it should not be forgotten that such systems need to be constantly updated and learned in order to work correctly.
Drivers will be able to get information about their surroundings via Google Gemini
This new generation digital assistant will replace the previous “Google built-in” system and will have a more comprehensive structure. It will go beyond the current system, which is limited to applications such as Google Maps and Google Assistant. Gemini will offer a much wider usage area thanks to its natural language processing capabilities. It will focus on what the user means, not how he constructs the sentence. Despite this, shaping the system according to the driver’s habits will be critical for a personalized experience.
Thanks to Gemini’s web connection, drivers will be able to obtain not only in-car controls but also information about their environment. For example, while passing over the bridge, it will be possible to ask information about the history of this bridge or learn the name of a mountain. Scenarios like these reveal how artificial intelligence can be integrated into the daily driving experience. Although these features are remarkable, issues such as data security and connection quality need to be addressed simultaneously. Since the system works with online data, some functions may be disrupted if there is no reliable connection.
This new artificial intelligence support will be offered via wireless update to vehicles with OnStar system starting from the 2015 model year. This update, which can be downloaded from the Google Play Store, can be integrated into the vehicle without the need for a physical service visit. Providing such support for vehicles produced in previous years stands out as an important element that increases user satisfaction. However, in order to benefit from all the features of the system, the vehicle will need to have sufficient hardware infrastructure. This may mean use with limited functions on some models.
In addition to Gemini, GM is also working on a separate artificial intelligence assistant it has developed. There is no clear information given about when this second system will be available. However, the company states that this special software was developed specifically for GM vehicles. This shows that GM will not be dependent only on Google’s infrastructure and wants to establish its own digital ecosystem. Besides all this, it seems likely that the two systems will be positioned as complementary rather than rival to each other.
On the other hand, GM had come to the fore with a past incident regarding data privacy. It was revealed that the driver data collected by the company within the scope of the OnStar Smart Driver program was transmitted to insurance companies without user consent. Following this, the US Federal Trade Commission banned GM from selling data for five years. In this context, the issue of privacy is handled much more sensitively during the integration process of Gemini. Users will be able to directly determine which data they will be granted access to.
Richardson said Gemini will come with a consent management panel that takes into account the driver’s privacy preferences. The panel in question will leave both the collection and processing of information to the driver’s control. Such solutions play an important role in safely expanding the use of artificial intelligence.
In addition to all this, GM plans to end Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integrations and switch to its own system by 2028.