OnStar has taken its next step into the world of connectivity in our cars. The brand and IBM have partnered to introduce OnStar Go, powered by IBM’s Watson.
On the surface, OnStar Go is an extension of the current “At Your Service” application, but adding Watson’s cognitive abilities to the platform has introduced a plethora of new opportunities for drivers.
With the driver’s permission, Watson will begin to study, learn and memorize drivers’ habits and offer personalized solutions and deals through the infotainment system.
For example, Watson will help drivers avoid traffic and congested routes when the vehicle is low on fuel, and provide the opportunity to activate a fuel pump and pay from inside the vehicle.
“On average, people in the U.S. spend more than 46 minutes per day in their car* and are looking for ways to optimize their time,” said Phil Abram, Executive Director, GM Connected Products and Strategy. “By leveraging OnStar’s connectivity and combining it with the power of Watson, we’re looking to provide safer, simpler and better solutions to make our customers’ mobility experience more valuable and productive.”
So far, five brands have joined the new platform including ExxonMobil, Glympse, iHeartRadio, Mastercard and Parkopedia. Each brand brings an advantage when utilizing OnStar Go, with the largest being Mastercard’s ability to pay for items and services from inside the vehicle.
As for the other brands:
- Glympse will allow for consumers and businesses to manage customized real-time location sharing with anyone on any device.
- iHeartRadio will curate personalized experiences that leverage on-air personalities and local content from radio stations across the U.S. Drivers will be invited to share information from their calendars, social graph, location, music preferences and more.
- Parkopedia will provide detailed parking spot information — including opening hours and up-to-date prices as well as booking and payment capabilities. Drivers find, reserve and pay for parking all at the click of a button.
OnStar Go with IBM Watson will launch in 2017. You can watch the official announcement for OnStar Go at the livestream right here.
Comments
How secure is it, hackability-wise?
Not that I’m paranoid …
“Watson” is the most intelligent A.I. system ever produced, beating two champion at the “Jeopardy!” TV game. I know it will beat MicroSoft”s Cortana and Apple Siri easily. Getting to talk with a “Watson” system is really interesting. “Watson” was built on a huge parallel IBM Power6 system (now upgraded to Power8), with the AIX 6 operating system which I have working experience on.
AIX is one of the most secure Unix-based O/S and in over twelve years working with AIX (starting with version 3.2) I have NEVER seen or read about any “hack” or virus that can attack AIX, or even such an advanced application as “Watson”.
Great, non stop friggin’ advertising streamed into your vehicle as if we aren’t bombarded enough! Just so you can see if your local Starbucks has a 5 cent coupon on a double latte or that the dress shop you pass by has a Fall Fashion Sale. They may point out things like rerouting while you’re low on fuel (really, how far away is a gas station from anyone these days?) or finding, reserving and paying for parking but those are not the main goals of such tech mobility. The advertisers want to put an electronic sales flyer into your car, pure and simple! I don’t like it! I hope this service remains optional and doesn’t become standard equipment over time !