Older General Motors cars will be just as smart as new ones thanks to over-the-air software updates and the introduction of Google Gemini.
The company today announced that they are upgrading model year 2022 and newer Cadillac, Chevrolet, Buick, and GMC vehicles with Google built-in to include the technology. Approximately 4 million vehicles in the U.S. are eligible for the no-charge upgrade.
“Bringing Google Gemini into GM vehicles means millions of drivers are getting a fundamentally more capable AI assistant through software. The update will reach customers across every segment and price point, and it only gets smarter from here. That scale is only possible because of the connected vehicle foundation GM has built through OnStar over the past 30 years,” General Motors Global Vice President of Product Management Tim Twerdahl told Newsweek.
The updates come at a crucial time for the company’s technology. It previously announced that it is phasing out Apple CarPlay and Android Auto across all future vehicles, including gas-powered models, by 2028.
The move was heavily derided by many automotive industry experts and enthusiasts who also expressed that GM’s native system is not as usably mature nor aesthetically pleasing as those by Apple and Android.
GM first announced plans to install a custom-built AI assistant into its vehicles when it revealed its GM Forward strategy last autumn.
Gemini works in GM vehicles much like it does in other automakers’ applications, using AI to get to know a user over time and refine its outputs based on input habits and routines.
“The shift customers will notice most is that they stop thinking about how to talk to their car. With Gemini, the conversation just works, whether you’re asking it to reroute around traffic, translate a text, or find trailer-friendly parking. The system understands context, follows along, and helps you get things done more naturally,” Twerdahl explained.
He continued: “This is AI with purpose. It’s about making the time you spend in your vehicle more useful and less stressful. Whether it’s helping a driver plan a more efficient route, find the right stop for their vehicle, or handle tasks hands-free, it’s designed for how people actually live and work on the road.”
The implementation is not the end of AI assistant development at GM. “Gemini is the foundation, not the finish line. Later this year, we’ll take a step further with a more deeply integrated AI experience that’s shaped by OnStar and built specifically around the vehicle, the driver, and the context of the journey,” Twerdahl teased.
GM said that the Gemini update will expand to markets beyond the U.S. and support more languages over time.
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