Galois representations for general symplectic groups

Abstract: We prove the existence of GSpin-valued Galois representations corresponding to cohomological cuspidal automorphic representations of general symplectic groups over totally real number fields under the local hypothesis that there is a Steinberg component. This confirms the Buzzard-Gee conjecture on the global Langlands correspondence in new cases. As an application we complete the argument by Gross and Savin to construct a rank seven motive whose Galois group is of type G_2 in the cohomology of Siegel modular varieties of genus three. Under some additional local hypotheses we also show automorphic multiplicity one as well as meromorphic continuation of the spin L-functions.