General Motors (GM) is significantly resetting its artificial intelligence (AI) goals, as highlighted at NVIDIA GTC 25. This reset involves a deeper collaboration with NVIDIA, focusing on next-generation vehicles, enhanced manufacturing processes, and advanced robotics, marking a pivotal shift in GM's approach to integrating AI across its operations. The automotive landscape is rapidly evolving, with modern vehicles transforming into rolling computers. Automakers are increasingly leveraging AI to develop autonomous driving capabilities and provide passengers with a digital-first experience.
GM's expanded partnership with NVIDIA, announced on March 18, 2025, at NVIDIA GTC 2025, underscores this strategic shift. The collaboration aims to build custom AI systems utilizing NVIDIA's accelerated compute platforms, including NVIDIA Omniverse and NVIDIA Cosmos, to train AI manufacturing models for optimizing GM's factory planning and robotics. Furthermore, GM will utilize NVIDIA DRIVE AGX for in-vehicle hardware, enhancing advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) and in-cabin safety features.
According to Dave Richardson, GM's senior vice president of software and services engineering, GM will begin using Omniverse, NVIDIA's solution that helps companies build three-dimensional environments, including digital twins, and Drive AGX, its AV development platform. The company aims to leverage Omniverse to create digital twins of its factory lines, enabling virtual testing and optimization before physical construction. This approach will allow GM to identify and resolve inefficiencies, optimize production lines, and improve throughput. Digital twins, updated in real-time with data from sensors and other technologies, provide a fully virtual representation of physical environments like factories.
Beyond manufacturing, GM is focusing on delivering Level 3 autonomous vehicles. Level 3 autonomy allows the vehicle to handle all driving tasks under specific conditions, but requires the driver to be ready to take over when prompted by the system. To achieve this, GM will use NVIDIA technologies to train AI in realistic digital road environments and utilize Drive AGX, an in-vehicle platform that integrates a full sensor architecture, high-performance AI compute, and a robust software stack.
This expanded partnership signifies a strategic move for GM, especially after the company scrapped its driverless taxi company. By collaborating with NVIDIA, GM aims to achieve Level 3 driverless capabilities and discover manufacturing efficiencies. Mary Barra, chair and CEO of General Motors, emphasized that AI optimizes manufacturing processes, accelerates virtual testing, and helps build smarter vehicles, while empowering the workforce to focus on craftsmanship. Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of NVIDIA, echoed this sentiment, stating that together with GM, they are transforming transportation from vehicles to the factories where they are made.
GM has been investing in NVIDIA GPU platforms for training AI models across various areas, including simulation and validation. The collaboration now extends to transforming automotive plant design and operations. By using NVIDIA Omniverse, GM can create digital twins of assembly lines, enabling virtual testing and production simulations to reduce downtime. This effort includes training robotics platforms already used for material handling, transport, and precision welding, enhancing manufacturing safety and efficiency. GM will also build next-generation vehicles on NVIDIA DRIVE AGX, based on the NVIDIA Blackwell architecture, and running the safety-certified NVIDIA DriveOS operating system.
Moreover, GM is applying AI to robotics platforms for precision welding, material handling, and transport, improving manufacturing efficiency and allowing the workforce to concentrate on craftsmanship. The integration of vehicle hardware and software will make GM's cars more capable and flexible. GM is developing a unified and updatable software platform, which will support features like streaming movies, powering campsites, and transforming the vehicle into a theater with Dolby Atmos surround sound.
GM's strategy also involves carefully managing partnerships to avoid brand dilution. While embracing technologies that augment the GM ecosystem, such as Google Maps, Spotify, and Amazon Music, GM is focusing on building an ecosystem that delivers exceptional customer experiences while aligning with the GM system architecture. This approach allows GM to concentrate on its unique expertise and accelerate innovation while maintaining a distinctive GM experience.
GM's path to the future involves an AI infusion from NVIDIA, enhancing manufacturing, revolutionizing vehicle technology, and building smarter vehicles with exceptional customer experiences.
