General Motors is planning to launch a new eyes-off driving system on the Cadillac Escalade IQ in 2028. Last week, GM CEO Mary Barra was on hand to talk about the new system along with other upcoming GM technology at its GM Forward media event in New York.
Eyes-Off Driving
The new eyes-off system is based on GM’s Super Cruise, which Car Pro Show host Jerry Reynolds is a huge of. Super Cruise currently covers more than 600,000 miles of mapped North American roads and GM says it's logged more than 700 million hands-free miles without a single crash attributed to the technology. The company also cited more than five million fully driverless miles from its Cruise subsidiary as part of the validation process for its next-generation system.
"This combination of technology, scale, a decade of real-world deployment experience, and safety systems developed and tested for Super Cruise gives us the foundation to deliver the next phase of personal autonomy", the automaker said in a press release.
The new system uses lidar, radar, and cameras integrated into the vehicle’s design. Turquoise lighting across the dashboard and exterior mirrors indicates when the system is active.
Artificial Intelligence
Alongside autonomy, GM also detailed how AI will reshape the in-car experience. Starting next year, its vehicles will include conversational AI powered by Google Gemini, allowing drivers to speak to their cars in natural language. Drivers will be able to do things like ask the car to explain one-pedal driving, identify a maintenance issue, or find a restaurant along the route. Later, GM says it plans to introduce its own proprietary AI assistant, fine-tuned with individual vehicle data and driver preferences through OnStar connectivity.
New Computing Platform
Also coming in 2028 - a new centralized computing platform, which GM says will launch on the Escalade IQ. The platform will integrate propulsion, steering, infotainment, and safety systems onto a single, high-speed computing core. GM says the new system will enable ten times more over-the-air software capacity, a thousand times more bandwidth, and as much as 35 times greater AI performance to support autonomy and advanced features. The platform will allow vehicles to get software updates long after they leave the dealership, unifying software for both electric and internal-combustion models.
Robotics
During the event, the automaker also highlighted advancements at its Autonomous Robotics Center in Warren, Michigan, and a partner facility in Mountain View, California. More than 100 engineers and roboticists are using decades of manufacturing data to train AI systems capable of learning and improving each production cycle. GM says new collaborative robots, or “cobots,” are being deployed in U.S. plants this year to improve safety and efficiency by working alongside employees. The company described this as part of a broader effort to build adaptive, self-improving manufacturing systems powered by AI.
Energy Systems
Energy systems were another key focus. GM noted that most of its new electric vehicles can already supply backup power to properly equipped homes, and future models will be able to feed energy back to the power grid. Beginning in 2026, the automaker will offer the GM Energy Home System — a combination of bi-directional EV charging and a stationary home battery — available through lease programs for EV owners and, later, for homeowners interested in solar integration and grid services. The system will be supported by a smartphone app designed to educate users, manage charging, and eventually enable participation in vehicle-to-grid programs.
Taken together, GM says the technologies mark a fundamental shift in its strategy, moving toward vehicles defined as much by intelligence and software as by horsepower or design. Through AI robotics, and high-speed computing, the company says it is building the foundation for a new generation of cars that can learn, adapt, and assist their drivers in ways that go far beyond traditional transportation.
Photos: General Motors
