GM unveils AI-powered car assistant and plans for faster, more autonomous vehicles

During its annual GM Forward showcase in New York City, General Motors detailed a vision of cars that act as personal assistants, friends, and tools. The centerpiece is OnStar AI, an artificial-intelligence assistant that will debut on the 2027 Cadillac Lyriq, enabling voice-activated actions such as turning on the air conditioner without navigating menus. GM aims to use AI to cut vehicle development time from four-to-five years to roughly half that of current Chinese competitors.

The firm also plans to broaden its "eyes-off" highway driving feature, currently available on Super Cruise-equipped models, to more routes and eventually local roads, edging closer to a fully autonomous personal vehicle. Chief Product Officer Sterling Anderson emphasized a cautious rollout, warning against overstated autonomy claims like those made by Tesla. He acknowledged that cheaper, robot-like cars could increase road traffic and urban sprawl, but argued that society has time to adapt.