General Motors Enhances OnStar Service with Google AI Chatbot Integration

General Motors (GM) has embraced the generative AI trend by integrating Google Cloud’s conversational chatbot, Dialogflow, to enhance its OnStar services. This exciting partnership was highlighted during a keynote by Alphabet's CEO, Sundar Pichai, at the Google Cloud Next '23 event held on Tuesday.

Since its launch in 2022, OnStar, GM’s in-car concierge service, has been powered by advanced intent-recognition algorithms leveraging Google Cloud’s conversational AI. Recent updates have expanded its capabilities, allowing the system to efficiently handle common inquiries related to routing and navigation.

This initiative is part of GM's ambitious strategy to establish a $25 billion subscription business by 2030. Mike Abbott, GM’s Executive Vice President of Software and Services, stated, “Generative AI has the potential to transform the buying, ownership, and interaction experiences inside and outside the vehicle, creating new opportunities to introduce innovative features and services. Our software-driven approach accelerates the development of attractive services while enhancing operational efficiency across GM. Collaborating with Google Cloud exemplifies our commitment to redefining customer engagement with our products and services.”

Since 2019, GM has been rolling out vehicles featuring Google built-in technology, allowing seamless access to Google Assistant, Maps, and Play directly from the vehicles’ infotainment systems. In April, GM announced plans to replace Apple CarPlay and Android Auto—which enable smartphone mirroring on vehicle displays—with the Google built-in platform.

Thanks to Dialogflow, OnStar’s virtual assistant now manages over 1 million customer inquiries each month across the U.S. and Canada, with availability in most GM vehicles from model year 2015 onwards.

The integration of this advanced chatbot means OnStar can better interpret customer requests on the first attempt and respond in a “modern, natural-sounding voice.” In addition to providing routing and turn-by-turn directions, the OnStar chatbot can assist with a variety of simple queries via the non-emergency blue button found in GM vehicles. Importantly, it can also recognize key phrases that may indicate an emergency, quickly redirecting the call to a human advisor.

Dialogflow is capable of addressing customer questions about GM vehicles and their features, utilizing real-time data from GM's extensive vehicle information systems. Customers can inquire about GM's new 2024 electric vehicle lineup or how to utilize innovative features in their cars.