General Motors is improving its current OnStar platform by tapping into IBM's Watson artificial intelligence to better provide personalized service while driving.
In an article in ZDNet, it explains that the current OnStar service provides recommendations for restaurants, malls, and activity areas. With the integration with IBM, it will provide "smarter" leads depending on the driver's tastes, habit and behavior. This new system is dubbed as the "OnStar Go."
The new OnStar Go platform allows the driver to access a variety of options basing from the car's proximity to establishments, as well as the status of the environment within the vehicle. An example of which is when it is low on fuel, the system will advise the driver of the nearest gas station, taking into consideration the driver's historical preferences. Another will be suggesting where the closest restaurant is that caters to the type of cuisine the driver enjoys.
This proves to be an untapped goldmine not only for GM and IBM, but also for partners who wish to advertise their product via the app.
According to Tech Crunch, some of the potential industry partners for this venture will be ExxonMobil, which provides information to the driver where the closest fill-up stations are, iHeartRadio, which uses advanced AI to determine the personality of the driver and cater to it, and Mastercard, giving flexibility of payment via credit or debit through the car's dash to name a few.
The initial list of partners will undoubtedly grow as the development of the product reaches full potential. As illustrated in the examples above, almost any business establishment can gain something from this service, as long as the AI deems it fit to be "sold" to the consumer, or as filtered by the user himself.
GM consumers can avail the improved service by the end of 2017.
