General Motors (GM) has integrated Google's artificial intelligence (AI) into its OnStar service, enhancing its interactive virtual assistant (IVA) and improving customer experience. The partnership has led to significant advancements and future promising prospects for in-car experiences.
Google's AI powers GM's OnStar IVA
Since the year 2022, GM has been utilizing a product referred to as the OnStar Interactive Virtual Assistant (IVA). This service, powered by Google's Dialogflow technology, has been instrumental in providing OnStar customers with bespoke responses to questions pertaining to routing and navigation assistance. The Dialogflow technology, part of Google's Cloud conversation AI, is currently handling more than a million customer inquiries a month within the US and Canada via OnStar.
OnStar IVA's future plans for emergency detection
Typically, the OnStar IVA services are employed for non-emergency services within GM vehicles. However, GM has plans to enhance the system to the point where it can detect certain words and phrases that may indicate an emergency situation. Upon detection of such, the system will route the requests to emergency response operators. This future upgrade will significantly improve the safety standards of GM vehicles.
Google's infotainment system in GM's future cars
The partnership between GM and Google is not just limited to the OnStar service. They have also worked in unison to incorporate Google products such as Maps and Music into the in-car experience. Furthermore, GM is set to introduce a native Google infotainment system into its future cars, with the 2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV being the first to receive this feature. This development has, however, raised concerns as it means GM will have to abandon the popular Apple CarPlay and Android Auto systems.
In addition to the Google-powered AI technology, GM also uses other AI technologies like ChatGPT. Earlier this year, GM announced that it is using ChatGPT to assist customers in finding answers to queries in the owner's manual, program integrated garage door openers, and even integrate schedules from an online calendar into the car.
