GM plans to launch conversational AI in some vehicles next year

KITT is here, and it’s a Buick.

At a software event on Wednesday, GM execs said that as early as next year, the owners of select GM vehicles will be able to chat with their vehicle via Google Gemini AI. According to the automaker, drivers will be able to talk to their car “as naturally as [they] would to a fellow passenger.”

Eventually, GM will integrate its own AI system into its vehicles, the company said, walking drivers through directions or parallel parking.

Along with the “Knight Rider” update, GM discussed a host of other techy plans. The automaker said it will launch a driver assistance system in its vehicles by 2028, enabling eyes-off, hands-free driving.

GM currently has 30,000 robots operating in its factories, most of which are giant arms. The company said it’s also developing autonomous mobile bots and robots that will be able to work alongside humans.

The updates come just a day after GM reported its third-quarter earnings, which came in better than expected and sent the stock surging up to an all-time closing high. It was the second-best one-day change for the ticker since it first started trading in 2010.