[Digital Today reporter Jinju Hong] General Motors (GM) will introduce Google's artificial intelligence (AI) assistant Gemini to about 4 million vehicles in the United States.

On April 29 local time, IT outlet The Verge reported the update will apply to 2022 model-year and later Cadillac, Chevrolet, Buick and GMC vehicles equipped with Google Built-In.

GM plans to roll out the feature over several months through wireless software updates to its infotainment system. Because the AI assistant capability is upgraded through software after vehicles are delivered, it is seen as a strategy to broaden the scope without replacing hardware.

The core of the update is switching from the existing Google Assistant to Gemini. GM said it is one of the industry's largest Gemini adoption cases. The company said users will experience an AI assistant that is smarter and more intuitive than Google Assistant, and that it will continue to improve over time.

In the vehicle, Gemini carries out functions such as sending messages, providing directions and recommending music. A key change presented was enhanced conversational usability, allowing users to ask questions or make requests naturally instead of memorizing preset commands. GM aims to let drivers use the vehicle system with more everyday expressions.

The rollout will start with U.S. English. GM said it plans to expand to other GM markets and support more languages. It did not disclose a specific timetable for expanding to countries or languages.

Along with the announcement, GM also presented results for its driver assistance system. Vehicles equipped with Super Cruise have reached about 750,000, and users of those vehicles logged 1 billion miles of hands-free driving. Super Cruise is not a fully autonomous driving system, but an advanced driver assistance feature that allows drivers to take their hands off the steering wheel on supported roads in the United States and Canada.

The figures show GM is strengthening the user experience by combining vehicle software and driver assistance features. In infotainment, it is advancing the voice interface with Gemini, while in driving assistance it is highlighting Super Cruise usage results. In particular, Super Cruise's cumulative driving record is taken as a signal that GM is expanding its data and user base in comparisons with rival systems.

As a result, GM's update can be seen as a move to strengthen in-vehicle software competitiveness beyond a simple voice assistant replacement. The next points to watch are whether Gemini leads to real user experience improvements and how quickly expansion outside the United States and support for multiple languages progress.