At its GM Forward media event in New York, General Motors outlined how manufacturing scale, software integration, and artificial intelligence are influencing the company’s approach to vehicle design and technology.

Chair and CEO Mary Barra and other senior leaders presented updates in several areas, including AI, robotics, energy, and autonomous driving, as part of GM’s ongoing development of advanced transportation technologies.

Eyes-Off Driving

GM announced plans to introduce eyes-off driving capability in 2028, beginning with the Cadillac ESCALADE IQ electric SUV.

The company reported that its Super Cruise system has mapped approximately 600,000 miles of hands-free roads in North America. Customers have driven more than 700 million miles using Super Cruise, with no reported crashes attributed to the system. GM stated that data and validation frameworks from Cruise contribute an additional five million fully driverless miles of experience.

According to GM, these combined technologies and safety systems form the foundation for its next phase of autonomous driving development.

Conversational AI

Starting next year, GM plans to introduce conversational AI features in its vehicles through Google Gemini.

 The technology will allow drivers to interact with the vehicle through natural language commands.

The company also announced plans to develop a proprietary AI system in the future. With user permission, it will be fine-tuned using data from the vehicle and individual preferences, connected through OnStar. GM said this technology could provide features such as explaining vehicle functions, identifying maintenance issues, or suggesting nearby destinations.

Computing Upgrade

In 2028, GM will debut a new centralized computing platform, beginning with the Cadillac ESCALADE IQ. Designed to support both electric and internal combustion vehicles, the platform will consolidate key systems—such as propulsion, steering, infotainment, and safety—on a single high-speed computing core.

GM stated that the new platform will offer 10 times more over-the-air software update capacity, 1,000 times more bandwidth, and up to 35 times greater AI performance compared to its current systems. The company described this as part of a long-term effort to improve vehicle computing capability over time.

Advanced Robotics

GM provided an update on its robotics initiatives at the Autonomous Robotics Center (ARC) in Warren, Michigan, and at a related facility in Mountain View, California. The company said more than 100 engineers and specialists are developing robotics systems trained on production data, including telemetry, quality metrics, and sensor information from existing manufacturing processes.

ARC is also working on software and components for collaborative robots, or “cobots,” which GM plans to deploy in U.S. assembly plants this year. The company stated that these systems are designed to improve efficiency and support workplace safety.

Backup Power

GM noted that most of its current electric vehicles can provide backup power to properly equipped homes and that future models will be capable of supplying power back to the electrical grid.

Beginning in 2026, GM plans to offer the GM Energy Home System—a combination of bidirectional EV charging and stationary home battery storage—through leasing programs, starting with GM EV owners and later expanding to other customers. The system is designed to integrate with solar energy and includes app-based controls and education tools for managing home energy use.