GM
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GM’s dashboard gets a brain transplant
General Motors said Tuesday it’s bringing Google Gemini to more than 4 million U.S. vehicles with Google Built-in, starting with 2022 model-year cars across GMC, Cadillac, Buick, and Chevrolet. Translation: your car is about to get a lot better at understanding what you mean, not just what you said.
What Gemini can actually do
Instead of barking rigid commands like you’re talking to a sleepy vending machine, drivers can ask Gemini to:
- summarize and read incoming texts
- send messages
- help plan routes
- play music based on mood
- chat back and forth like a semi-useful co-pilot
To make it work, owners need to be on OnStar, signed into the Google Play Store, using U.S. English, and opted in. So yes, this is high-tech — but not exactly plug-and-play magic.
Why investors should care
This is less about cute voice controls and more about GM leaning harder into software as a selling point. If the cabin experience gets noticeably smarter, GM can make its cars feel fresher without waiting for a full redesign cycle — and that’s a nice little moat when everyone’s trying to look differentiated in a crowded auto market.
It also keeps Alphabet right in the middle of the cockpit. For GM, that’s a sign it wants to compete on digital experience, not just sheet metal and horsepower. Big picture: when your car starts sounding more like a helpful assistant and less like a Bluetooth hostage situation, that’s probably a win for the automaker.