Dive Brief:
- General Motors and Nvidia expanded their partnership to deploy AI-powered technology in the automaker’s next-generation vehicles and across production facilities, the companies announced Tuesday.
- Among the projects, GM will use Nvidia’s Drive AGX platform for the development of advanced autonomous driving technology, vehicle hardware and AI-powered in-cabin experiences, including for infotainment systems. The automaker will also use Nvidia’s Omniverse platform to create digital twins of its factories to enable virtual testing and computer simulations to reduce downtime and maximize production efficiency.
- “At a time when artificial intelligence is fundamentally changing the world, General Motors is embracing it to enhance manufacturing, to revolutionize vehicle technology, and to build smarter vehicles and exceptional customer experiences,” Dave Richardson, senior VP of software & services engineering for GM, wrote in a blog post.
Dive Insight:
As the industry pivots to building more electric and software-defined vehicles that come packed with safety technology, automaker partnerships with tech companies are becoming more valuable to gain a competitive edge. According to GM, car buyers today expect more customization and convenience features in their vehicles and the company is collaborating with Nvidia to deliver it.
GM aims to advance the vehicle electrical architecture of its vehicles, which includes the integration of new AI-powered hardware and software that can be updated over-the-air.
GM is already using Nvidia’s GPU platforms for training AI models across various areas of the company. The automaker’s expanded collaboration with Nvidia will now be used to optimize assembly plant design and operations to maximize production efficiency.
“The era of physical AI is here, and together with GM, we’re transforming transportation, from vehicles to the factories where they’re made,” Jensen Huang, co-founder and CEO of Nvidia said in the press release. “We are thrilled to partner with GM to build AI systems tailored to their vision, craft and know-how.”
Nvidia’s expanded partnership with GM was announced on the same day the chipmaker unveiled new chip designs and its vision for using AI in physical operations, including manufacturing and robotics.
GM’s next-generation vehicles will be based on Nvidia’s AI-powered Blackwell architecture and run the company’s DriveOS operating system. The hardware achieves up to 1,000 trillion operations per second high-performance compute, which will power the autonomous driving systems of future GM vehicles and support its safe deployment at scale.
For GM’s manufacturing facilities, the automaker will use Nvidia’s Omniverse platform to create digital twins of its vehicle production lines, allowing for virtual testing and production simulations before physically deploying processes on the factory floor. The Omniverse platform also supports the training of robotics for tasks such as material handling and transport, including the precise welding of vehicle structures during assembly.
“GM has enjoyed a longstanding partnership with Nvidia, leveraging its GPUs across our operations,” said GM CEO Mary Barra, in the release. “By merging technology with human ingenuity, we unlock new levels of innovation in vehicle manufacturing and beyond.”
GM says the development of a new vehicle software platforms is well underway and will underpin a variety of upcoming GM vehicles, including Chevrolet Equinox and full-size trucks such as the GMC Sierra EV.
