General Motors is set to launch its own in-vehicle artificial intelligence assistant later this year, according to CNBC. The proprietary system is designed to reach deeper into vehicle functions than the Google Gemini integration GM began deploying this past spring.

Anna Santos, GM's director of product management for voice and AI/machine learning, said the assistant "combines conversational AI with GM vehicle knowledge and OnStar intelligence" to perform tasks that a general-purpose AI system cannot. Santos declined to disclose the product's name.

GM is developing the technology in-house using an unnamed large language model provider. Features currently under development include predictive maintenance capabilities, telemetry monitoring, and a "kid's mode" capable of locking and unlocking doors, adjusting seats, changing temperature settings, and switching music all at once.

Gemini Accelerated GM's AI Rollout

GM initiated its Gemini rollout on April 28, covering model year 2022 and newer Cadillac, Chevrolet, Buick, and GMC vehicles equipped with Google built-in technology — approximately 4 million vehicles in the United States. The system enables natural speech without requiring drivers to memorize specific commands. GM has also begun introducing "live sessions" in which the assistant engages in more open-ended conversation, plays trivia, and hosts games of 20 Questions. It additionally controls cabin temperature and radio functions.

According to CNBC, however, Gemini largely functions as it would on a smartphone — a limitation the native assistant aims to overcome. GM signaled this move at its GM Forward event in October 2025 without detailing the assistant's capabilities. As previously reported by Cryptopolitan, GM positioned Gemini as an initial step toward a dedicated assistant operating through OnStar.

OnStar Data Provides the Competitive Edge

The proprietary system's defining advantage lies in OnStar telematics data — the same asset that previously attracted federal scrutiny. The Federal Trade Commission barred GM from sharing OnStar Smart Driver data with insurers and consumer reporting agencies without explicit consent for five years, following revelations that driver behavior data had been transmitted to insurance companies.

GM maintains that drivers retain control over what Gemini can access. The native assistant intensifies the privacy question rather than resolving it, since its competitive advantage depends on the depth of vehicle and driver data it can observe. As vehicles increasingly function as connected computing platforms, the tension between personalization and data privacy is becoming a recurring flashpoint across the auto industry. OnStar connectivity extends to vehicles built as far back as 2015, and Google has handled non-emergency OnStar queries through Cloud Dialogflow since 2023.

Automakers Pursue Diverse AI Strategies

Major automakers have largely opted for partnerships rather than building from scratch. Stellantis is collaborating with French AI firm Mistral, Mercedes has integrated ChatGPT, and Tesla has brought in xAI's Grok. GM is pursuing both paths simultaneously — shipping Google's model to millions of vehicles while constructing the proprietary system beneath it — reflecting a broader industry calculation that controlling the in-car software experience is increasingly central to brand differentiation as hardware parity grows.

The commercial rationale became apparent in the second quarter, when GM reported $48.03 billion in revenue, raised its full-year profit outlook for the second time, and posted 20% growth in digital services revenue, per Quartz. Software subscriptions and connected services have become a strategic revenue priority for automakers facing margin pressure on traditional vehicle sales.

The assistant will also operate on hardware GM has been developing for years, including a partnership with Nvidia covering Drive AGX and Omniverse, and a centralized computing platform the company claims delivers up to 35 times current AI performance. That platform arrives with the Cadillac Escalade IQ in 2028 alongside eyes-off highway driving capability.