General Motors is taking a decisive step toward what it calls the next phase of intelligent mobility. At the ‘GM Forward’ event in New York, CEO Mary Barra outlined how this shift is unfolding in the areas of autonomy, software and energy systems.
The most notable announcement was eyes-off driving, coming in 2028 with the Cadillac Escalade IQ. This marks GM’s move toward what the industry considers Level 3+ autonomy, where the vehicle can handle all aspects of driving under certain conditions without constant human supervision. Unlike Tesla’s camera-only approach for its self-driving system, GM’s system appears to feature a combination of high-definition LiDAR, radar, cameras and sensors, layered with real-time mapping data.
GM has already mapped 600,000 miles of roads in North America, and its Super Cruise system has logged 700 million hands-free miles without an accident attributed to the technology. Backed by five million fully self-driving miles from Cruise, GM’s autonomous subsidiary, the company says it is building one of the safest and most validated systems on the road.
That safety philosophy is in stark contrast to the ‘move fast’ mentality of Silicon Valley. GM’s method is slower but data-driven and combines ten years of on-road experience with ongoing validation. The upcoming Escalade IQ will serve as a testing ground for this next-generation autonomy.
In terms of artificial intelligence technology, GM will also roll out conversational AI across its range from 2026 using Google’s Gemini model. You can talk to your car and of course ask about maintenance alerts, route changes or even restaurants nearby. Down the road, GM plans to replace Gemini with its own in-house AI, connected through the company’s OnStar service, all trained on your vehicle’s behavior and preferences through OnStar’s cloud infrastructure.
The foundation of all this will be a centralized computing platform, debuting in 2028. Instead of dozens of separate control modules, one high-speed core will handle propulsion, steering, infotainment and safety. GM says it will offer 10 times more over-the-air update capacity, 1,000 times the bandwidth and up to 35 times more AI performance than current systems.
On the manufacturing side, GM’s Autonomous Robotics Center in Michigan and its laboratory in California are developing “cobots,” collaborative robots that adapt to human workers using real-time telemetry and quality data.
With these announcements, General Motors is no longer positioning itself as a traditional automaker. It is transforming into a full-fledged technology company, merging hardware, AI and data into a unified mobility ecosystem, transforming one of America’s oldest automakers into a next-generation technology company.
Images: General engines
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