General Motors Adopts Google AI Chatbot for OnStar Service Integration
General Motors (GM) has harnessed the power of generative AI through a collaboration with Google Cloud, utilizing their conversational chatbot named Dialogflow to manage specific non-emergency features of the OnStar service.
This innovative partnership was unveiled alongside a keynote by Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai at the Google Cloud Next 23 event on Tuesday.
OnStar, GM's in-car concierge service, has incorporated Google Cloud's conversational AI and intent-recognition algorithms since its launch in 2022. The recent advancements enable OnStar to provide drivers with prompt responses to common inquiries, such as navigation assistance and route suggestions.
This move aligns with GM's overarching goal of cultivating a $25 billion subscription business by 2030.
Mike Abbott, Executive Vice President of Software and Services at GM, emphasized the transformative potential of generative AI, stating, "Generative AI has the potential to revolutionize the buying, ownership, and interaction experience inside the vehicle and beyond, enabling more opportunities to deliver new features and services."
GM's collaboration with Google Cloud exemplifies its commitment to evolving customer engagement and product offerings.
Since 2019, GM has integrated Google Assistant, Maps, and Play into new vehicles, allowing drivers to access these services directly from their infotainment systems. In April, GM announced its decision to phase out Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in favor of Google built-in functionality.
Leveraging Dialogflow, GM's OnStar virtual assistant now handles over 1 million customer queries each month in the United States and Canada. The service is accessible in most GM vehicles from model year 2015 and onwards.
This AI-powered chatbot enhances customer interactions by comprehending initial requests and delivering responses in a modern, natural-sounding voice.
Beyond offering routing and turn-by-turn directions, the OnStar chatbot is equipped to assist with basic inquiries through the non-emergency OnStar blue button in GM vehicles. Moreover, it can swiftly detect phrases and keywords indicating emergency situations, promptly directing the call to a human advisor.
Dialogflow further enables the chatbot to address customer questions regarding GM vehicles and product features by drawing from technical information stored in the automaker's vehicle data caches. This means customers can inquire about GM's 2024 EV lineup or seek guidance on utilizing new technological features in their vehicles.
