new york – general motors The company plans to focus on artificial intelligence and vehicle software for future growth and development amid intensifying overseas competition from Chinese automakers and a tough U.S. market.
The Detroit automaker on Wednesday announced new details about its proprietary AI agent it will release under its OnStar brand, its plans for a more efficient fourth-generation all-electric vehicle, and its goal to cut vehicle development time in half.
GM also reaffirmed that by 2028, it wants to achieve i-off highway driving, or “personal autonomy,” where drivers can take their attention away from the road. The company said the technology will start with the Cadillac Escalade IQ EV and then roll out to other high-volume models.
“All these developments are building the car of the future,” Chief Executive Officer Mary Barra said Wednesday at an event in downtown Manhattan announcing the plan called “GM Forward.”
The initiative, which Barra, chief product officer Sterling Anderson and other executives discussed at the event, is aimed at streamlining the automaker’s operations while improving vehicle capabilities for customers.
“Over the past 12 months, we have evolved the way we design, engineer and manufacture vehicles,” said Anderson, who led the event and was tasked with overseeing GM’s latest technology transformation.
GM said it is currently targeting vehicle development time from concept to production to about two years, compared to the traditional four- to five-year cycle. However, the company did not provide details on the timeline for achieving that goal.
The event comes as Chinese automakers are growing outside the United States and rapidly developing new technologies and vehicles. Consulting firm AlixPartners said it believes China is now bringing cars to market twice as fast as traditional automakers, requires 40 to 50 percent less investment, and has a 30 percent cost advantage.
GM continues to catch up with the US EV leader tesla To enable technology advancements through over-the-air updates and self-driving features.
Anderson, a former Tesla executive, declined to discuss specifically how GM’s technology would compare to EV makers, but said GM’s system will be able to visualize, or see, more by using multiple types of sensors than the strictly camera-based system used by Tesla.
He also said that rapid development and new software architecture will allow the company to be more competitive with overseas Chinese automakers.
“There is an inherent virtue in speed,” Anderson told CNBC in an interview after the event. “Not only will we be able to leave the car faster, but we will be able to develop systems that perform much better than they would otherwise.”
next generation car
GM announced Wednesday that it has big plans for next-generation electric vehicles and conventional vehicles powered by internal combustion engines.
The company says its upcoming vehicles, regardless of type, will have 40 times more computing power and up to 50% faster cellular connectivity than traditional systems.
Its computing power is expected to help automakers with other technologies such as self-driving features, as well as over-the-air updates, in-vehicle diagnostics, and AI.
The new brains of the vehicle will be installed in the $130,000 Cadillac Escalade IQ EV in 2028, and then rolled out to other models, including next-generation EVs.
General Motors CEO and Chairman Mary Barra speaks at the brand’s annual technology event in New York on October 21, 2026.
Charlie Tribalew | AFP | Getty Images
According to GM, upcoming EVs will be 25% more aerodynamic, 15% lighter, and equipped with a more compact electric motor and battery pack.
GM President Mark Reuss said the company remains committed to producing EVs despite lackluster consumer adoption and automakers pulling back billions of dollars in EV investments.
“We will continue to develop future EVs and strive to reduce battery costs,” Royce said during the event. “And when the U.S. market is ready for mass adoption of EVs, we will support them.”
AI development
GM expects to achieve these goals through the use of AI in research and development.
The company said it is developing a “new operational approach to vehicle development” that leverages enterprise AI and virtualization to improve speed.
“This concurrent engineering model allows us to innovate faster, continuously improve, and expand new technologies across our lineup with incredible agility,” the company said in a release.
From left: GM CEO Mary Barra, Chief Product Officer Sterling Anderson, and President Mark Reuss attend the company’s GM Forward event in downtown Manhattan on October 21, 2026.
Michael Weiland | CNBC
GM cited the development of next-generation vehicles, including new battery chemistries, as an example of how new technologies are reshaping vehicle development.
The company said it virtually tested more than 300,000 battery designs using its recently announced lithium-manganese-rich battery chemistry (LMR) before building a single physical prototype.
Anderson said Wednesday that LMR will be the exclusive battery technology for the company’s fourth-generation EVs. GM has previously said it wants to use these batteries in full-size electric vehicles such as the Chevrolet Silverado and Escalade IQ starting in 2028.
Anderson said GM is in a unique position to leverage AI compared to other auto companies because of its more than 100 years in the industry and more than 30 years with OnStar.
“In the age of AI, data is currency,” Anderson says. “For decades, GM’s engineering, manufacturing and product teams have generated unparalleled amounts of data that we now use to build industry-leading AI tools.”
In-vehicle AI
The company is building on its internal use of AI to better shape the experience for its customers.
GM reaffirmed Wednesday that it plans to launch its own in-vehicle AI assistant through its OnStar technology brand.
OnStar AI Assistant will be introduced in the coming months on the 2027 Cadillac Lyriq EV through an over-the-air update before expanding to other models.
GM currently uses Google’s Gemini for its in-car AI assistant. The company told CNBC earlier this year that GM-developed AI will become more integrated with its vehicles.
The goal of OnStar AI, available through subscription, is to help customers be more productive in the car, especially for vehicles with self-driving capabilities that do not require drivers or passengers to monitor the system.
On Wednesday, GM reiterated its plans to begin IOff highway operation in 2028. The automaker said a year ago that it wanted to introduce the technology. It’s been five years since Barra said he expected automakers to offer personal self-driving cars within 10 years.
“Our vision is that all vehicles will eventually be able to drive themselves or have a passenger anywhere, and we are investing across the entire self-driving stack to make that happen,” Anderson said.
