GM Forward: Self-driving trucks and SUVs, faster car updates, OnStar's AI makeover

General Motors (GM) is doubling down on technological innovation, with plans to offer "eyes-off" autonomous driving in its popular trucks and SUVs while leveraging AI to shorten vehicle development times.

The automaker last year said it would offer autonomous highway driving for its light-selling Cadillac Escalade IQ starting in 2028.

During the GM Forward 2026 event on Wednesday, the company said it would expand the service to its top-selling vehicle lineups, including full-size SUVs and light-duty pickups.

GM (GM) said its vision "includes a future where your vehicle can handle mundane tasks for you, like heading out into bumper-to-bumper traffic to pick up groceries or dry cleaning."

It also aims to use enterprise AI to cut vehicle development times in half, from the traditional four-to-five-year timeline.

The automaker pointed to its new battery development program, in which it tested over 300,000 battery designs virtually before building a single physical prototype.

This enabled it to move from its first lithium manganese rich battery pack concept to formal program approval in just one month.

GM (GM) will consolidate several electronic controls onto a single Central Compute Unit. This will deliver 40x more computing power and up to 50% faster cellular connectivity than its previous systems.

The automaker is also upgrading OnStar, its 30-year-old connected car service, with new AI assistant features.

With the OnStar AI Assistant, drivers can adjust vehicle functions through voice commands and ask for real-time vehicle updates without taking attention off the road.

The AI assistant will debut in the 2027 Cadillac Lyriq in the coming months through an over-the-air update, with additional GM (GM) vehicles to follow.

"By combining AI, software-defined platforms, intelligent manufacturing and trusted autonomy, GM is building toward a future that gives people more capability, more confidence, and ultimately, more time for what matters most," the company announced.