Back to the Future

March 21, 2025Newsletter Archives

The conventional wisdom about the automotive business is that we’re a bunch of metal benders who leave the really cool engineering to companies that make PCs, smartphones, and internet-connected toothbrushes.  

The truth is, GM employs thousands of engineers, and every day they do epic, uh, things. One patent tracking firm last year ranked GM tenth for active patents held among companies in the S&P 100 stock index, ahead of many well-known tech companies. And while we’ve been making a big push in technology, expanding our electric vehicle portfolio, offering great in-cabin infotainment and mapping software, and making progress on autonomous driving, the truth is that GM has been creating cool tech for our cars – and our customers – for more than a century. 

This week on GM News, we launched the first entry in a new series of stories - Retro Rides – focused on cool vehicles from our rich history. In particular, we highlighted the 1986 Buick Riviera, which had a touch-screen display that controlled the stereo and climate system, while providing a range of vehicle diagnostics. That screen – the Graphic Control Center – was dramatically ahead of its time. Consider that the first BlackBerry smartphone hit the market in 1999; the iPhone debuted in 2007. 

Also last week, we had a great post from Dave Richardson, our senior VP for software and services engineering, about GM’s expanded partnership with NVIDIA, the chip company that continues to play a leading role in the artificial intelligence revolution. As Dave details, we’re working with NVIDIA to develop next-generation vehicles, factories, and robotics using AI simulation and accelerated computing. AI is coming to the automotive industry, and GM is going to help lead the way. 

“In the years ahead, cars will have features you could have never before imagined,” Richardson writes. “Already you can do things like stream movies in your car, use your vehicle to power your campsite, and transform your ride into a theater with Dolby Atmos surround sound…. Harnessing the latest technologies will help GM to lead the industry in offering a wide range of reliable and high quality EVs and gas vehicles. By merging technology with human ingenuity, we’re unlocking new frontiers in vehicle manufacturing and beyond.” 

– Eric J. Savitz, editor-in-chief, GM News