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General Motors is steering the future of driving with a bold promise: hands-free, eyes-off automated highway driving will arrive in the Cadillac Escalade IQ by 2028. As GM adjusts its electric vehicle production, the company is shifting focus to advanced AI, software-defined features, and robotics to define its next chapter. Squaredtech has analyzed these announcements to provide clarity on what this means for drivers, the automotive industry, and the future of advanced vehicle technology.
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Published on February 12th 2025 SquaredTech
General Motors Shift to Level 3 Automated Driving in Escalade IQ
GM’s CEO Mary Barra revealed this major breakthrough when announcing new features across GM brands like Cadillac and Chevy. The upcoming Level 3 automated driving system in the Escalade IQ will allow drivers to take their eyes off the road on highways while retaining the ability to take control when prompted. This system will operate widely across U.S. highways using highly advanced perception and decision-making technology.
Level 3 automation, as defined by the Society for Automotive Engineers (SAE), marks a significant step beyond Level 2, where the driver must constantly monitor the road. With Level 3, the car handles almost all aspects of driving in specific conditions, but the driver must be ready to intervene if requested. This contrasts with full autonomy, such as Waymo’s technology, which requires no driver attention.
Squaredtech recognizes that while Level 3 presents convenience gains, it faces safety debates. Experts warn drivers cannot fully disengage due to the need for sudden takeover. However, GM builds its case on the safety record of its Super Cruise system, a Level 2 hands-free feature launched in 2017. Sterling Anderson, GM’s Chief Product Officer who formerly led Tesla’s Autopilot program, highlighted in The Verge’s Decoder podcast that customers have driven over 700 million miles hands-free with zero accidents attributed to Super Cruise. This established foundation gives credibility to GM’s Level 3 ambitions.
The move to Level 3 arrived partly because GM’s Cruise robotaxi project failed after a pedestrian injury incident. GM has since refocused efforts by rehiring Cruise employees to enhance Super Cruise and work on future personally owned autonomous vehicles.
Advancing AI and Software in GM’s Vehicles
General Motors is not stopping at hands-free driving. Starting next year, GM will integrate Google’s Gemini AI for an improved conversational voice assistant, promising more natural and contextual interaction than current systems. This AI feature aims to assist drivers by understanding complex commands like directions and vehicle queries. Other automakers, including Volvo, plan similar advances, but GM intends to develop its own AI companion attuned specifically to vehicle intelligence and driver preferences.
Squaredtech notes this advancement follows GM’s ongoing integration of Google’s software, used in OnStar chatbots and replacing traditional phone mirroring like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto with a fully native Android-based infotainment system in its EVs.
Further innovation will come with General Motors new centralized computing platform, debuting in the 2028 Escalade IQ. GM calls this platform a complete redesign of vehicle architecture, boasting up to 10 times more capacity for over-the-air updates, 1,000 times more bandwidth, and 35 times greater AI processing power. These improvements enable faster response times and more dynamic vehicle control using Ethernet-based networking, which achieves sub-millisecond system latency.
Anderson emphasized that this faster electrical architecture allows advanced suspension and other systems to operate at a 1,000 Hertz frequency, significantly enhancing vehicle dynamics and software capabilities. Squaredtech views this as a critical step to accommodate evolving autonomous and connected vehicle features.
General Motors Robotics Expansion and Energy Innovation
General Motors is also investing heavily in robotics as part of its technology transformation. It employs over 100 engineers and roboticists at its Autonomous Robotics Center in Michigan and a sister facility in California. These teams build advanced robotic systems to improve manufacturing efficiency by training robots with real production data. New autonomous mobile robots will transport materials within factories, and collaborative robots (cobots) will work safely alongside human employees, marking a shift from isolated, caged robot arms.
Currently, General Motors operates about 30,000 robots alongside nearly 97,000 human production workers across 11 facilities. The company’s new approach aims to enhance safety and productivity with smarter, more adaptable machines.
Finally, General Motors is expanding its energy offerings with a program allowing electric vehicle owners to send backup power from their car batteries to the electrical grid. This vehicle-to-grid technology integrates with GM Energy’s home energy storage and solar systems. In 2026, GM plans to launch a new leasing model for the GM Energy Home System, enabling EV owners to use their cars as emergency home backup power and aid utility grids during peak demand.
Squaredtech sees GM’s strategy as a clear pivot from pure EV production to a future defined by automated driving, intelligent software, and integrated energy solutions. The Escalade IQ’s hands-free, eyes-off driving reflects a major technical milestone, backed by solid safety experience and cutting-edge computing power. GM’s investment in robotics and AI further strengthens its position as a technology leader poised to reshape automotive manufacturing and driving itself.
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