General Motors is reworking OnStar from a service best known for its blue emergency button into an active, voice-controlled AI system. The new OnStar AI Assistant will let drivers manage cabin functions by voice, starting with the 2027 Cadillac Lyriq, according to The Verge. GM unveiled the assistant Oct. 21 at its GM Forward event in New York, timed to OnStar’s 30th anniversary, as the automaker repositions the service as what it calls a “connected intelligence layer” built into the vehicle itself.
For Lyriq drivers, the change means a car that responds to spoken commands for everyday tasks instead of requiring a touchscreen menu or a button press. GM says the assistant will reach the 2027 Lyriq through an over-the-air software update in the coming months before expanding to other models, though the automaker hasn’t said which vehicles come next or when.
What the OnStar AI Assistant can do
Drivers will wake the system with “Hey, OnStar.” From there, the assistant can adjust the climate controls, open the glove box, pop the EV charge port, switch on the dome lights and check tire pressure, charging status and projected range, all through voice commands rather than physical controls. It can also explain warning lights and mystery chimes, and an OnStar advisor can step in when the AI doesn’t have an answer.
That list sets the OnStar AI Assistant apart from the Google Gemini voice assistant GM began rolling out this year to about 4 million 2022-and-newer Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC vehicles with Google built-in. The Verge reported that Gemini handles conversational tasks, while the new OnStar system works at a deeper level of the vehicle’s software and can operate physical functions and read hardware-level diagnostics.
Gemini isn’t leaving the picture entirely, though. A GM spokesperson told The AI Economy that Gemini powers the new assistant, which layers GM’s own vehicle data and three decades of OnStar experience on top.
Vehicle availability and timing
The 2027 Lyriq will be the first vehicle to get the OnStar AI Assistant, and because it arrives over the air, owners won’t need a dealer visit to add it. GM CEO Mary Barra said the assistant is included with a driver’s OnStar subscription. GM says more models will follow the Lyriq, but it hasn’t named them or shared a broader rollout schedule. The automaker also plans to launch a new OnStar mobile app in 2027 that combines its brand apps into one.
Bigger hardware is on the way, too, just not for this launch. GM’s next-generation centralized computing platform, which the company has said will deliver up to 35 times more AI performance than its current systems, debuts in 2028 on the Cadillac Escalade IQ. That kind of processing headroom is what GM is counting on for more ambitious AI features down the road, while the Lyriq’s assistant arrives as a software update on today’s hardware.
Data handling and safety
GM is pitching the assistant as technology “built on trust.” The automaker says drivers will be able to see what information each feature accesses, why it needs that information and when it happens, and will manage AI permissions through settings that control what data gets shared.
That emphasis isn’t accidental. GM has faced criticism and fines for sharing driver data with third parties, and the company hasn’t detailed specific safeguards governing the assistant’s ability to control physical functions like the charge port or glove box.
The jump from a voice assistant that answers questions to one that opens hardware and adjusts vehicle settings marks a notable shift in what drivers hand over to onboard AI. How well GM’s permission controls hold up once the assistant is in drivers’ hands will say a lot about whether that trust pitch lands.
What’s next
The OnStar AI Assistant is set to arrive first on the 2027 Cadillac Lyriq via an over-the-air update in the coming months, with GM saying additional models will follow. The automaker hasn’t announced specific vehicles or dates beyond the Lyriq. Lyriq owners interested in the feature should watch for GM’s software update notices and keep an eye out for the new OnStar app in 2027.
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