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

New York – GM It’s targeting a host of new software initiatives for its vehicles over the next three years, including Google’s in-car AI Assistant and a driver assistance system that can largely control the car without human intervention or monitoring.

GM said Google’s Gemini AI conversational system will begin rolling out to its vehicles next year, followed by a new driver assistance system, which will allow drivers to not use their hands and take their eyes off the road under certain circumstances, in 2028.

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

The company also announced that it is working on a new mainframe computing platform, which is scheduled to be rolled out starting with the Escalade IQ in 2028; increased use of collaborative robots, also known as cobots, that can work alongside humans; and expanding the availability of products from its GM Energy business.

“Today we will share our vision for our vehicles, our industry, and how we are driving the future of transportation forward,” Barra said at the opening of the event in Lower Manhattan.

GM said these announcements aim to usher 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 plans in 2021 to double revenues by 2030, led by several now-defunct growth companies, as well as increasing annual software and services revenues to between $20 billion and $25 billion.

In recent years, it has also discontinued the “Ultra Cruise” system that was supposed to be able to drive in 95% of conditions and which was initially scheduled to be rolled out in 2023, and halted its robotaxi business.

GM executives on Wednesday declined to discuss potential revenue from the new ads. CFO Paul Jacobson had previously backed away from the goal of doubling revenue, but noted the company’s growing revenue, up 9.1% last year to $187.44 billion.

GM Chairman Mark Reuss said Wednesday that the company’s revenue plans are “very much on track… probably a year or two different” as it plans to continue increasing revenue, especially with the technologies announced Wednesday. He also said that these initiatives are “completely different” from previous announcements, as they are tangible products that will soon enter the market.

As of the third quarter of this year, GM generated $2 billion from software services. This is up from 2021, when the plans were announced, when it took a full year to reach that goal. It also cited deferred revenue of $5 billion, up 90% from a year earlier, to end the third quarter.

The event comes one day after GM reported impressive third-quarter earnings and increased its guidance, pushing the stock to its second-best day ever since the automaker emerged from bankruptcy in 2009.

GM stock trading on Wednesday was relatively flat.

General Motors said that the artificial intelligence system… Googlewhose infotainment system was developed, “will make it possible to talk to your car as naturally as you would to any other passenger.”

“Our vision is to create a vehicle that knows you, takes care of you, and meets just what you need, even before you say it,” Sterling Anderson, GM’s chief product officer, said during the event.

The Detroit automaker said it expects select 2016 model year vehicles to be updated to all new models in the U.S. starting next year using artificial intelligence technology.

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

“In the future, we will introduce our own AI system that is fine-tuned to your car,” said David Richardson, a former engineer. apple The executive who now serves as GM’s vice president of software engineering and services. “Think of this as an assistant. It will anticipate your needs, provide timely assistance, and make every trip more engaging and more enjoyable.”

GM said it plans its updated Advanced Driver Assistance System, also known as ADAS, to include hands-free driving technology, starting with the Cadillac Escalade IQ EV, which currently starts at about $127,500, in 2028.

The automaker then expects to expand the availability of the technology to other models, company executives said.

“Autonomous driving will make our roads safer. It will give back to customers what is most precious to them: time. It will be a cornerstone of GM’s product portfolio moving forward,” Anderson said.

The vehicle will use LIDAR, or light detection and ranging, systems that allow the vehicle to better detect or “see” its surroundings. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has been a notable critic of the technology, and his company’s cars rely on camera- and computer vision-based systems.

GM declined to say whether the new technology would be called “Super Cruise,” which is its current system that allows drivers to cruise hands-free on 600,000 miles of pre-set roads in North America.

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

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

Starting in 2026, GM said it will make its “Home Energy System” — which includes two-way electric vehicle charging and a stationary home battery — available via leasing, compared to purchasing the equipment outright.

The company said leasing will begin with owners of GM’s all-electric vehicles and later expand to other homeowners interested in backup power and solar integration.

GM Energy was launched in 2022 as one of the automaker’s growth initiatives involving electric vehicles. He started competing TeslaAce’s home energy systems provide battery packs, electric vehicle chargers and software to help customers optimize charging and overcome electrical grid outages.

GM has not disclosed the size or revenues of its GM Energy business except in a blog post by Wade Schaefer, GM Energy’s vice president, in which she said momentum for its services is growing.

“It’s really incredible to see all the great things on the horizon that I know we’ll deliver to our customers, and that’s what’s most important,” Barra said. “This moment builds on our history and sets the tone.”