GM continues its crusade of removing Android Auto and CarPlay from its vehicles, and that’s now going to include future gas vehicles instead of just EVs, while the carmaker is also building out a Gemini-powered assistant.
GM today announced that future vehicles under the Buick, Chevrolet, Cadillac, and GMC brands will feature a new AI voice assistant powered by Google Gemini. There aren’t a ton of details on this experience yet beyond it supporting “natural conversations” that can integrate both with phone-based services like messages as well as features of the car such as navigation. It would feature access to vehicle data, meaning the assistant would be able to provide more native and personalized information.
GM explains:
Beginning next year, GM vehicles will feature conversational AI with Google Gemini, making it possible to talk to your car as naturally as you would to a fellow passenger. In the future, GM will introduce its own AI, custom-built for your vehicle. With your permission, it will be fine-tuned with your vehicle’s intelligence and your personal preferences, all connected by OnStar. This could include explaining one-pedal driving in your new vehicle, spotting a maintenance issue early, or finding the perfect place for dinner en route to your destination.
That’s set to arrive sometime next year, but also in the pipeline is a further war on phone-projection systems like Android Auto and CarPlay.
In an interview with The Verge, GM’s Mary Barra and Sterling Anderson engage in yet another discussion about GM’s support, or lack thereof, for Android Auto and CarPlay. GM ripped out this functionality on EVs in recent years, and it seems future gas-powered vehicles are next in line.
Top comment by Mike Malone
I suspect GM wants their own system and no option for Android Auto or Carplay because GM's system will be a subscription model with a monthly or yearly fee and no alternative to the consumer.
When asked why GM’s gas-powered vehicles don’t remove Android Auto and CarPlay, Barra said that it “depends on when you do an update to that vehicle,” referring to an overhaul of the vehicles’ software stack. Directly asked if “we should expect new gas cars will not have smartphone projection,” Barra replied that “that’s the right expectation” as GM’s new software gets to a “major rollout.”
The whole interview is an interesting listen – including a bizarre comparison that tries to say phone-projection a car doesn’t make sense for the same reason you wouldn’t use phone-mirroring apps on a laptop – but we’ve time-coded the YouTube embed below to the relevant discussion about CarPlay (and, by extension, Android Auto).
Update: Speaking to NewGeekGuide, GM clarifies that Android Auto and CarPlay will not be removed from existing vehicles, not that anyone really thought that was on the table to begin with.
We are not making any changes to existing vehicles. If your car supports Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, that will continue. Both will remain available in all GM gas-powered vehicles for the foreseeable future. As we advance toward our centralized computing platform, we’ll gradually move to a better, more deeply integrated experience — a direction the broader industry is taking as vehicles become more software-defined. This will happen over time, not overnight. We value our collaboration with Apple and Google and remain focused on delivering experiences customers love.
More on Android Auto:
- Google Maps for Android Auto gets partial redesign to surface ‘Report’ button, hide suggested locations
- Here’s how fast AAWireless TWO+ switches between wireless Android Auto and CarPlay [Video]
- Android Auto starts enforcing Android 9.0+ requirement
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