General Motors is planning to bring Google’s Gemini AI assistant to around four million vehicles across the US. Model year 2022 and newer Cadillac, Chevrolet, Buick, and GMC vehicles with Google built-in will be eligible for the AI upgrade, which will be rolled out via over-the-air software updates for GM’s infotainment system “over several months,” according to GM’s announcement.
GM says this update represents “one of the largest deployments of Gemini in the industry,” and that “customers will notice an upgrade from the current Google Assistant to a smarter, more intuitive AI assistant that continues to improve over time.”
The assistant can perform various tasks, including sending messages, navigation, offering music suggestions, and more. The upgrade to Gemini should also provide a more conversational experience, allowing users to ask questions or make requests more naturally than memorizing specific commands. Gemini will initially be available in US English, with GM saying it plans to expand to “additional GM markets and support more languages over time.”
GM has now also crossed a significant milestone, announcing that customers in nearly 750,000 Super Cruise-enabled vehicles have driven one billion hands-free miles. The Super Cruise advanced driver-assist system isn’t fully autonomous — instead allowing drivers to take their hands off the steering wheel on compatible roads across the US and Canada — but that milestone shows that it might give competitors like Tesla a run for their money.
