GM promises smarter cars, faster updates, and autonomous dry-cleaning runs

General Motors is still very much in the business of selling gas-guzzling trucks and massive SUVs. But if you listen to its leadership, the Detroit giant is rapidly transforming into a nimble, software-defined tech player with a tightened grip on AI.

That was the pitch today, when GM hosted its tech-focused Forward event to unveil a wide-ranging slate of EV, autonomous vehicle, and AI initiatives - all aimed at fending off the rising threat of tech-heavy Chinese automakers.

The promises are big: GM claims it will use AI to cut vehicle development times in half, introduce compute units up to 40 times more powerful than its current hardware, …