General Motors is positioning itself to take a leading role in the AI evolution with a suite of upgrades from anticipating a driver’s needs to driving for them.
The automaker, which sells vehicles under the Chevrolet, Cadillac, GMC and Buick brands, plans to equip its vehicles with conversational AI powered by Google Gemini next year ahead of GM’s launch of its own custom-built AI.
With the conversational AI, drivers will be able to draft and send messages and plan routes with context, such as finding a charging stop near a favorite coffee shop or even prep for a meeting on the go, the automaker said. Starting in 2026, enhancements will be rolled out through a software update to OnStar-equipped vehicles starting with model year 2015.
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That’s just one step in its broader plan to build “cars that don’t just move you but anticipate then adapt to your needs and improve over time.”
The automaker is already drawing up plans to build out its own custom-built AI that will be fine-tuned to each vehicle’s intelligence and the driver’s personal preferences. The automaker didn’t specify when its custom-built AI will be available. It will run on GM’s next-generation centralized computing platform, which won’t debut until 2028.
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Its AI platform, Integrated through OnStar, will connect to the vehicle’s onboard intelligence to deliver vehicle-specific insights such as upcoming maintenance alerts and optimized route planning. It will also explain car features like one-pedal driving and even recommending a dinner spot based on a driver’s past preferences and routes.
There will also be privacy controls that let drivers determine what they share and how tailored their experience should be, according to GM.
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The company also plans to introduce “eyes-off driving” in 2028, debuting on the Cadillac Escalade IQ for highway use. GM says the vehicle is “designed to handle the drive when you want it to,” marking another step toward its vision of personal autonomy in driving. It’s a step up from the hands-free driving currently available with Super Cruise.
The turquoise lighting across the dashboard and exterior mirrors on the vehicle will signal when the system is active.
“Unlike vision-only systems, GM’s approach is built on redundancy with LiDAR, which provides a high-resolution 3D map of the vehicle’s environment, radar and cameras integrated into the vehicle’s design,” GM said.
Since its debut in 2017, Super Cruise has expanded to 23 vehicle models, enabling more than 700 million hands-free miles with zero reported crashes attributed to the system.
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