Google is enhancing its Gemini AI assistant with a new "Personal Intelligence" feature that will be integrated into vehicles via Android Auto and Google Built-in platforms. This update allows the AI to access information from a user’s Gmail, Calendar, YouTube, Maps, and Search history to better understand preferences and offer more personalized responses while driving. The feature, which requires user opt-in, can handle complex, natural language queries, such as providing real-time flight updates linked to calendar events, thereby deepening the integration of Google’s ecosystem into the driving experience.

General Motors is incorporating this personal AI assistant into their connected car service, OnStar, marking one of the most significant updates to the 30-year-old product. The OnStar AI Assistant is set to debut in the 2027 Cadillac Lyriq EV and will extend to more GM models over time. Additionally, GM will release a unified OnStar mobile app in 2027 to replace the current Guardian and brand-specific vehicle apps, aiming to provide a seamless, interactive user experience that leverages in-house AI technology to offer predictive and proactive vehicle support.

The new OnStar system will utilize connected vehicle cameras to enhance safety, automatically recording events like aggressive horn honking and providing encrypted uploads accessible only to users. GM emphasizes user control by allowing customers to manage data-sharing permissions, responding to recent regulatory scrutiny over data privacy. The company assures that data sharing is consent-based and feature-specific, with limited access and use of recordings to protect privacy while maintaining key functionalities.

This AI-centered overhaul at GM aligns with its broader strategy to compete with tech-driven automakers, especially challengers from China. By investing heavily in AI, centralized computing architecture, and software development, GM is responding to market pressures that have shifted competitive advantage towards software-centric vehicles. The Cadillac Escalade IQ, launching in 2028 with a new central compute unit, will showcase these advancements, including hands-free autonomous highway driving, underscoring GM’s commitment to transforming the driving experience through advanced AI and connected technologies.