General Motors integrates Google Cloud's chatbot into its OnStar service

GM vehicles came with Google Assistant, Play, and Maps built-in in 2019.

US car manufacturer General Motors is integrating Google Cloud’s AI-driven Dialogflow chatbot into its OnStar onboard concierge service. Since the service was launched last year, intent-recognition algorithms have allowed customers to utilize Google’s conversational AI in non-emergency scenarios. The chatbot has been upgraded to handle a wider range of queries, expanding its capabilities beyond those of the emergency call button. Now, it can provide navigation advice and give answers to product-related questions. The system relies on natural language programming and can recognize emergency situations in which customers require human assistance.

Since it was launched in 2015, OnStar has enabled GM owners to avail themselves of a range of services, from roadside assistance to in-car Wi-Fi. GM plans to drive a $25 billion subscription business by 2030 and views chatbots, cloud computing, and other generative AI technologies as crucial to that objective. GM vehicles came with Google Assistant, Play, and Maps built-in in 2019. This makes Google’s technology a central part of the automaker’s offering.GM said that since the Dialogflow upgrade was completed earlier this year, its virtual assistant has been handling more than one million customer inquiries a month in Canada and the US. Initially launched in the US, OnStar is now available in most 2015 and newer vehicles in the US and Canada.