GM Bets on AI and Software as It Sets New Vehicle Goals

General Motors plans to focus on artificial intelligence (computer systems that can learn and perform tasks people normally do) and vehicle software for its future growth, according to CNBC. The company faces growing competition from Chinese automakers abroad and a tougher market in the United States.

At the GM Forward event in downtown Manhattan on Wednesday, CEO Mary Barra spoke to attendees. Chief Product Officer Sterling Anderson led the event. GM shared details about a proprietary AI agent it is releasing under its OnStar brand.

GM also set a goal to cut its vehicle development time in half. Traditional vehicle development takes four to five years, and GM is targeting roughly two years from concept (the first idea for a product) to production. The company did not give a timeline for reaching that goal.

According to CNBC, consulting firm AlixPartners said China brings vehicles to market twice as fast as traditional automakers. The firm also said Chinese automakers have 40% to 50% less investment and a 30% cost advantage.

GM reconfirmed that by 2028 it wants eyes-off highway driving, which it calls personal autonomy. The technology will start with the Cadillac Escalade IQ EV before rolling out to other high-volume models. GM said a year ago that it wanted to launch this technology. Barra said five years ago that she expected personal autonomous vehicles this decade.

GM's upcoming vehicles will have 40 times the computing power of prior systems and up to 50% faster cellular connectivity. The new vehicle computing system will launch on the $130,000 Cadillac Escalade IQ EV in 2028. Forthcoming GM electric vehicles are expected to be 25% more aerodynamic and 15% lighter.

GM plans a fourth generation of more efficient all-electric vehicles. These will exclusively use lithium manganese rich (LMR) battery chemistry, a type of battery material. Before building a physical prototype, GM tested more than 300,000 battery designs virtually. GM President Mark Reuss said the company remains committed to producing electric vehicles.

GM plans to launch a proprietary in-vehicle AI assistant through OnStar. It is expected to arrive on the 2027 Cadillac Lyriq EV through an over-the-air update, which means software is sent to the car wirelessly. GM currently uses Google's Gemini for its in-vehicle AI assistant. The OnStar AI assistant will be available through a subscription.