GM plans to launch eyeless driving, Google AI and other technologies by 2028

NEW YORK – General engines is targeting a suite of new software initiatives for its vehicles over the next three years, including an in-car artificial intelligence assistant from Google and a driver assistance system that can largely control the vehicle without human interaction or oversight.

GM said Google Gemini conversational AI will begin rolling out in its vehicles next year, followed by the new driver assistance system, which will allow drivers to go hands-free and take their eyes off the road in certain circumstances, in 2028.

GM CEO Mary Barra and other executives made the announcements Wednesday as part of a “GM Forward” software event that also showcased other initiatives designed to “transform the car from a mode of transportation into an intelligent assistant,” the automaker said.

The company also announced that it is working on a new centralized computing platform, planned to roll out starting with the Escalade IQ in 2028; increased use of collaborative robots, also called cobots, capable of working alongside humans; and expanding product availability from its GM Energy business.

“Today we will share our vision for our vehicles, our industry and how we advance the future of transportation,” Barra said to kick off the event in lower Manhattan.

GM said the announcements were aimed at ushering in a “new era of mobility” for the company, which has struggled to achieve such initiatives in the past. Its previous efforts moving forward include announcing in 2021 plans to double revenue by 2030, led by many now-defunct growth companies, as well as increasing annual software and services revenue to between $20 billion and $25 billion.

In recent years, it has also scrapped an “Ultra Cruise” system said to be able to ride in 95% of circumstances, which was originally scheduled for release in 2023, and abandoned its Cruise robotaxi business.

GM executives declined Wednesday to discuss the revenue potential of the new announcements. Chief Financial Officer Paul Jacobson has already backed away from his goal of doubling revenue, but noted the company’s revenue growth, up 9.1% last year to $187.44 billion.

GM Chairman Mark Reuss said Wednesday that the company’s revenue plans are “pretty much on track…maybe a year or two different” as it expects to continue growing revenue, particularly with technologies announced Wednesday. He also said that these initiatives are “very different” from previous announcements, because they are concrete products that will hit the market soon.

In the third quarter of this year, GM recognized $2 billion in software services. That’s an increase from 2021, when the plans were announced, where it took a full year to reach that goal. It also cited $5 billion in deferred revenue, up 90% from a year earlier, to close the third quarter.

The event comes a day after GM reported stellar third-quarter results and raised its guidance, pushing the stock to its second best day on record since the automaker emerged from bankruptcy in 2009.

On Wednesday, GM stock was trading relatively flat.

GM said that the AI ​​system of Googleon which its infotainment system is developed, will allow “to speak to your car as naturally as to another passenger”.

“Our vision is to create a car that knows you, looks out for you and meets your needs, before you even say it,” Sterling Anderson, GM’s chief product officer, said at the event.

Anderson called centralized computing a “fundamental part” of the company’s plans to increase the capabilities of its vehicles.

The Detroit automaker said it plans to update some 2016 model year vehicles to all new models in the United States starting next year with AI technology.

GM also said it plans to develop its own “tailored AI” technology in the coming years, but did not provide a specific timeline.

“In the future, we will introduce our own AI tailored to your vehicle,” said David Richardson, former Apple who is now GM’s vice president of software engineering and services. “Think of it as an assistant. It will anticipate your needs, offer prompt assistance, and make every trip smoother and more enjoyable.”

GM said it expects its Enhanced Advanced Driver Assistance System, also known as ADAS, to feature hands-free and “eyes-free” driving technology, starting with the Cadillac Escalade IQ EV, which currently starts at about $127,500, in 2028.

The automaker then plans to expand the technology’s availability to other models, company executives said.

“Autonomy will make our roads safer. It will give customers back their most valuable asset: time. This will be the cornerstone of GM’s product portfolio going forward,” Anderson said.

The vehicle will use lidar, or light detection and ranging, systems that will allow the vehicle to better sense or “see” its surroundings. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has notably criticized the technology, and his company’s vehicles rely on camera-based systems and computer vision.

“Let me be clear, we are developing an autonomous product,” Anderson, a former Tesla executive, told CNBC. “This is an autonomous driving system, without eyes. When it comes to using lidar, your product will be better with multiple sensing modes, period.”

Anderson, calling it “an ocean too big to boil,” said the system should evolve gradually until it reaches its full potential.

GM declined to say whether the new technology would be called “Super Cruise,” its current system allowing drivers to go hands-free on 600,000 miles of pre-mapped roads in North America.

The current Super Cruise system monitors the driver’s attention through the use of eye-detection sensors and cameras.

GM was the first automaker to offer such a hands-free system in 2016, but it was slow to roll out the technology until recent years.

Barra said the rollout of the new system would be significantly faster than the company’s initial expansion of Super Cruise.

Starting in 2026, GM said it would make its “Energy Home System” — which includes two-way charging for electric vehicles and a stationary home battery — available through rental, rather than outright purchase of the equipment.

Leasing will begin with owners of all-electric GM vehicles and will then be expanded to other owners interested in backup power and solar integration, the company said.

GM Energy launched in 2022 as one of the automaker’s growth initiatives involving electric vehicles. He started to compete Teslaand provides batteries, electric vehicle chargers and software to help customers optimize charging and overcome power grid disruptions.

GM has not disclosed the size or revenue of its GM Energy business, except for a blog from Wade Sheffer, vice president of GM Energy, who says momentum in its services is growing.

“It’s really amazing to see all the great things that are on the horizon, and I know we’re going to meet our customers’ expectations, and that’s what matters most,” Barra said. “This moment builds on our history and sets the course.”