Why GM will give you Gemini — but not CarPlay

Decoder with Nilay Patel

Vox Media Podcast Network

Technology, Business

4.3 • 3.2K Ratings

🗓️ 22 October 2025

⏱️ 82 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Today’s guests are General Motors CEO Mary Barra and new GM Chief Product Officer Sterling Anderson. There’s a lot of big news the company just announced, including a Google Gemini-powered AI assistant that's coming to new cars and an entirely new hardware and software platform coming to the Escalade IQ in 2028 alongside true Level 3 autonomous driving. So I asked Mary about all of that and how she's navigating the current moment, and her company's relationship with the Trump administration. I also got into the details on GM’s platform with Sterling, including its decision to ditch Apple CarPlay on its EVs and what all this looks like in the future as AI voice assistants and more capable autonomy come into the mix. Read the full transcript on The Verge. Links: GM says hands-free, eyes-off driving is coming to Escalade IQ | The Verge GM takes a $1.6 billion hit on EVs | ⁠The Verge GM software boss on ditching CarPlay | Decoder Ford CEO on China, tariffs, and the quest for a $30,000 EV | Decoder The EV tax credit is gone — now the hard part begins | Decoder GM blocks dealership from installing CarPlay retrofit kits in EVs | The Verge Everybody hates GM’s decision to kill Apple CarPlay | The Verge GM hires ex-Tesla, Aurora exec as chief product officer | CNBC Cruise’s robotaxi service will shut down as GM pulls its funding | The Verge Newsom names GM’s Mary Barra as villain in fight with feds | Streetlight CA Subscribe to The Verge to access the ad-free version of Decoder! Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Our producers are Kate Cox and Nick Statt. Our editor is Ursa Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	300 sensors.
0:03.0	Over a million data points per second.
0:06.0	How does F1 update their fans with every stat in real time?
0:10.0	AWS is how.
0:13.0	From fastest laps to strategy calls,
0:15.0	AWS puts fans in the pit.
0:19.0	It's not just racing, it's data-driven innovation at 200 miles per hour.
0:25.4	AWS is how leading businesses power next-level innovation.
0:33.1	If you're a paid subscriber to The Verge, I have good news for you.
0:36.1	You can now listen to Decoder, version history, and The Vergecast completely ad-free.
0:40.5	All you have to do is go to theverge.com and head to your account preferences page to opt in to start listening without ads. If you're not a member yet, no worries. You can sign up at theverge.com slash subscribe. If you do, you'll get ad-free podcasts, plus all of our other perks, like exclusive
0:55.1	newsletters and unlimited access to everything we publish.
1:03.7	Hello, and welcome to Decoder.
1:05.3	I'm Neely Patel, editor-in-chief of The Verge, and Decoder is my show about big ideas and other
1:09.2	problems.
1:10.1	We've got a special episode today.
1:11.7	I'm talking to General Motor CEO Mary Barra and new GM chief product officer Sterling Anderson,
1:17.6	about a lot of big news the company just announced, including a Google Gemini-powered AI
1:22.1	assistant that's coming to new cars, an entirely new hardware and software platform coming
1:26.5	to the Escalade IQ in 2028, along
1:28.9	with true Level 3 autonomous driving, a new home battery business, and a new robotics division.
1:35.2	It's a lot, and it all comes against the backdrop of President Trump's trade wars, tariffs,
	...

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