GM says it’s using AI to develop new cars, expanding in-car AI

Oct. 21 (UPI) — General Motors said Wednesday that it plans to use artificial intelligence and new software to develop new vehicles in less time and that it will also expand in-car AI systems.

Company officials said they hope to cut the time to develop new vehicles in half, to about two years, using AI and new software. This could allow the company to better compete with Chinese automakers, who roll out new models more quickly.

“All of these developments are building us the car of the future,” CEO Mary Barra said Wednesday during a “GM Forward” event in New York City.

GM also said it will overhaul the computer systems in its cars, adding a proprietary AI agent through its OnStar brand, and said that it wants to have “eyes-off highway driving” available by 2028, starting with the $130,000 Cadillac Escalade IQ EV in 2028.

“The faster we can iterate, the better our products become,”said Sterling Anderson, GM’s chief product officer, in an interview with The New York Times. “We are developing better products faster at lower costs.”

The company did not share a timeline for cutting development time Wednesday.

Officials said upcoming vehicles, both EV and traditional, will have 40 times the computing power and up to 50% faster cellular connectivity.

Anderson said GM’s 100-year-plus history in the automotive industry and its experience with its OnStar systems make it better positionedto use AI.

“In the age of AI, data is currency,” he said. “For decades, GM’s engineering, manufacturing and product teams have generated [an] unparalleled body of data that we’re now using to build industry-leading AI tools.”

The company’s new AI agent is expected to debut on the 2027 Cadillac Lyriq EV. It will be available by subscription and is meant to help customers be more productive while in the car.

GM also said Wednesday that it will cut the cost of electric vehicle batteries and that it is working on new electric vehicles that will cost not much more than gas and diesel vehicles.