General Motors Rolls Out Proprietary AI Assistant to Compete with Google’s Gemini

General Motors plans to launch its own in-vehicle artificial intelligence system later this year, marking a significant shift in the automaker’s strategy to deliver more personalized digital experiences. The new GM AI assistant promises deeper integration with vehicle capabilities and telematics information than the company’s recently launched Gemini AI assistant from Google, according to Anna Santos, GM director of product management of voice and AI/machine learning.

“Later this year, we’ll be launching a more deeply integrated native AI assistant that combines conversational AI with GM vehicle knowledge and OnStar intelligence to create those capabilities that go beyond what a general purpose assistant can do,” Santos told CNBC. The Detroit automaker declined to disclose the name of the new assistant but emphasized its superior understanding of vehicle systems, driving conditions, and customer needs compared to general-purpose AI platforms.

Santos explained that the new assistant will be able to better “understand the vehicle, the drive and our customers’ needs, and make everyday ownership simpler.” The proprietary system represents the next phase of GM’s broader AI journey, addressing limitations inherent in third-party solutions that operate at the surface level of vehicle integration.

Beyond General-Purpose AI Capabilities

General Motors announced last year that the Gemini AI bot would launch in millions of 2022 model-year vehicles and newer, followed by a GM AI assistant. However, the company provided limited details about its proprietary technology at that time. The Gemini assistant allows customers to speak naturally without memorizing commands or repeating context, and it has begun offering “live sessions” where the bot converses like a normal conversation partner or plays games such as trivia or 20 questions.

While Gemini can control some aspects of GM vehicles, including temperature and radio controls, it generally operates similarly to how it functions on a phone. Santos acknowledged this limitation, stating, “This is the beginning of a broader AI journey for us. There’s a limit to what an AI that’s just sort of sitting at the top level of the vehicle can do.” The new GM-developed assistant aims to overcome these constraints through proprietary data access and native vehicle integration.

Proprietary Data and Deep Vehicle Expertise

The automaker collaborates with an unnamed large language model provider on technology designed to assist GM and its owners with predictive maintenance, vehicle telemetry, and other automotive-focused features. This partnership enables GM to leverage advanced AI capabilities while maintaining control over proprietary vehicle data and customer information that competitors cannot access.

The system could include specialized commands such as a “kids setting” that would automatically tailor music selections, seat positions, heating and cooling preferences, and door lock controls for children. Such features demonstrate how deep vehicle integration enables personalized experiences impossible with general-purpose AI assistants that lack access to specific vehicle systems and user profiles.

“It’s data that’s going to be proprietary to GM, and our goal is to make sure that we’re bringing the right technology forward to enable us to build the deep vehicle expertise that we want to be able to bring to the AI assistant,” Santos emphasized. This approach positions General Motors to differentiate its vehicles through unique AI capabilities that competitors using third-party assistants cannot replicate.

Rising Vehicle Prices Amid Memory Chip Shortage

The rollout of advanced AI systems occurs against a backdrop of increasing component costs driven by a global memory chip shortage. According to Nikkei Asia, General Motors now expects average new vehicle prices in North America to rise 0.3% this year, reversing its previous forecast of prices remaining flat or declining by the same percentage. The company attributes this shift to what it calls “chipflation”-price increases driven by scarce semiconductor components.

The automotive industry faces unprecedented demand for memory chips as vehicles increasingly incorporate advanced digital features and AI capabilities. Micron reports that the average car in 2023 used approximately 90GB of combined DRAM and NAND memory. By the end of 2026, that figure should reach 278GB, with high-end models requiring up to 2TB of storage-more than most consumer laptops.

Memory-Hungry AI Assistants Strain Supply Chains

Modern vehicles have evolved into supercomputers on wheels, with memory feeding infotainment screens, digital cockpits, safety systems, driver-assistance features, and the AI assistants that every automaker now races to install. Micron estimates that a car with Level 4 autonomy capabilities requires at least 300GB of memory on its own. In-car AI assistants can demand 256GB of memory by themselves, creating a feedback loop where the cutting-edge features automakers install to remain competitive also strain the chip supply those same vehicles depend upon.

Chinese automaker BYD raised prices for separately sold driver-assistance features by 20%, citing the need to guarantee quality as global memory prices spiked. South Korea’s Hyundai took a different approach, with its parts division reportedly engaging more than 20 domestic companies, including Samsung, to shore up chip supply chains before conditions worsen.

Strategic Implications for GM’s Market Position

The development of a proprietary AI assistant reflects General Motors’ strategy to control critical vehicle technologies rather than relying exclusively on tech industry partners. While partnerships with companies like Google provide valuable capabilities, owning the core AI system allows GM to differentiate its vehicles, protect customer data, and avoid sharing valuable insights about driver behavior and preferences with potential competitors in the automotive technology space.

Santos’s comments suggest that GM views its OnStar intelligence and decades of automotive expertise as competitive advantages that general-purpose AI assistants cannot match. By combining conversational AI with proprietary vehicle knowledge, the automaker aims to deliver experiences tailored specifically to driving contexts and ownership scenarios that transcend what smartphone-based assistants offer.

The launch timing remains uncertain beyond “later this year,” but the initiative represents a significant investment in software capabilities as the automotive industry transforms into a technology-driven sector. Whether GM’s proprietary approach proves superior to third-party solutions will depend on execution quality, feature depth, and customer reception once the system reaches production vehicles.