Last year, Americans spent approximately 95 billion hours behind the wheel, covering a staggering 2.76 trillion miles (around 4.44 trillion kilometres). During the recent GM Forward event in New York City, executives from General Motors presented their vision for the future of the automotive industry. They made it clear that their aim is not to reduce this driving time; after all, they are an automobile manufacturer.
What GM aspires to do is enhance the quality of the time spent in vehicles. As product director Sterling Anderson articulated in an interview, they seek to make driving “more productive, more relaxing, and more engaging.” The vision is for your future car to act as a sort of personal assistant, companion, and even a best friend.
Innovative AI Integration
This is no small undertaking. However, through a series of announcements this week, GM aims to showcase its progress towards this future, primarily through advancements in artificial intelligence. The company revealed plans to launch a new AI assistant for cars, named OnStar AI, beginning with the 2027 Cadillac Lyriq in the United States (with no confirmation yet for the Latin American market). The name pays homage to their 30-year-old roadside assistance service, which boasts 12 million subscribers.
Alongside a new app, the system will allow actions such as adjusting the air conditioning through natural language voice commands. Anderson notes that, over time, the AI will take on more complex tasks, such as coordinating school pick-ups and drop-offs based on the vehicle’s proximity to parents.
GM also plans to leverage AI to expedite the development of new vehicles, aiming to cut the typical four to five-year development cycle in half. This strategy is designed to outpace the speed at which Chinese manufacturers are currently producing new cars.
Expanding Autonomous Driving Technology
The automotive giant is extending its highway autonomous driving technology to its most popular models, moving closer to its promise of delivering a fully autonomous personal vehicle. Previously, GM announced that this system would be available in the Cadillac Escalade IQ by 2028. Currently, the company’s Super Cruise feature allows drivers to take their hands off the wheel on hundreds of thousands of kilometres of pre-mapped highways. Achieving true autonomy will take time, and GM is cautious about discussing it publicly. Anderson remarked, “This industry is rife with broken promises. I’m not interested in making them.”
GM’s approach contrasts sharply with that of competitors like Tesla. Musk’s company sells a driver assistance feature called “Full Self-Driving (Supervised)” that operates on many highways and local roads but requires the driver to remain alert and ready to take control at any moment. Anderson, who previously led Tesla’s Autopilot programme, argues that such a system “creates the illusion of autonomy without its benefits.” He believes that if drivers cannot engage in other activities while their car handles most of the driving, it becomes less practical and poses a direct safety risk.
A Vision of Future Driving
In contrast, GM’s strategy involves gradually increasing the capability to “take your eyes off the road” on a wider variety of roads. While the current generation of Super Cruise still necessitates driver supervision, the long-term vision is for drivers to eventually be able to text, eat, or watch YouTube videos first on selected highways, then on more roads, and ultimately everywhere.
At this point, GM’s vision for the automotive future becomes even more ambitious and somewhat nebulous. According to the company, the cabin could transform into a space for “relaxation, work, and disconnecting.” They envision a future where your car could handle daily tasks, such as grocery shopping or dropping off children, and perhaps even find a parking spot on its own.
Concerns Over Urban Infrastructure
However, this vision has raised concerns among urban planners and infrastructure experts. If the burden of driving—both in cost and time—is significantly reduced, will people start using their cars for everything? Will roads become congested with vehicles occupied by individuals sleeping, sending emails, or watching videos? Or, more worryingly, will they become filled with empty cars? Will cities continue to expand?
Anderson acknowledges these possibilities. He notes that if personal, affordable driving robots are introduced, “it is highly likely that the number of these robots on the road will increase. Therefore, many social and infrastructure aspects need to be considered.” However, he argues that there is still time, as city expansion is a gradual process. “I wouldn’t say it’s imminent, but it’s certainly something we need to think about.”