Silicon Valley GirlGM CEO Reveals the Truth About AI Cars & the Future of Driving
EVERY SPOKEN WORD
35 min read · 7,181 words- 0:00 – 0:49
Intro
- MMMarina Mogilko
we're hoping for '28, right?
- MBMary Barra
Yeah, no, I mean, that's what the team is working for.
- MMMarina Mogilko
Imagine being able to take your eyes and hands off the wheel, go through your work emails, watch your favorite TV show, maybe grab lunch. [camera clicking] Gemini coming out next year, right?
- MBMary Barra
Mm-hmm.
- MMMarina Mogilko
Uh, so it's- you will be able to talk to your vehicle.
- MBMary Barra
It's gonna be able to even alert you before something happens, so you can take care of it.
- MMMarina Mogilko
This is Mary Barra, the CEO of General Motors, [camera clicking] one of the most powerful people in the automotive world, and the woman leading the transformation of how humanity moves. [camera clicking]
- SPSpeaker
This is becoming a robot, and eventually, you can see a world where it's acting on your behalf fully autonomously.
- MMMarina Mogilko
[electronic music] AI is changing everything. It's no longer just a car. It's an assistant that might know you better than anyone. So the real question is: are we ready for it? [electronic music] Mary,
- 0:49 – 2:28
Future of driving 2030
- MMMarina Mogilko
thank you so much for doing this. I'm so excited to host you on Silicon Valley Girl.
- MBMary Barra
I'm really excited to be on Silicon Valley Girl, and have a chance to talk to you and tell you what's going on at General Motors.
- MMMarina Mogilko
Oh, yeah, I'm a proud owner of a Cadillac Escalade.
- MBMary Barra
Thank you.
- MMMarina Mogilko
Uh, it was, uh, one of the first with the Super Cruise. I was dying [chuckles] to get it, so we had to go to LA because the Bay Area was sold out. Went to LA, got it, and, uh, we've been driving it since. It's such a good investment, especially when you have technology mixed with quality, right?
- MBMary Barra
Mm-hmm.
- MMMarina Mogilko
Because you still wanna feel good in your car. Today, you presented a lot of new updates. Let's imagine it's 2030. I'm in my new Escalade. What is the experience like?
- MBMary Barra
Well, I think one of the things is, it's still going to be very personalized, and we think we can, uh, continue to advance the vehicle. Uh, you know, we talked about adding the Google Assistant. Uh, we'll follow up with, a, our own assistant that's much more integrated into the vehicle, leveraging vehicle data, and get to know you know the vehicle, so that it can even be a more customized experience. Be- and then, when you think about what we can do from an autonomy perspective, we shared that we'll start with highway autonomy, where you can-
- MMMarina Mogilko
Yeah
- MBMary Barra
... literally take your eyes off the road, and then we'll continue to expand that into urban, urban locations. And, you know, by 2030, I'm, I'm kind of done making predictions-
- MMMarina Mogilko
Good [chuckles]
- MBMary Barra
... as it relates to autonomy, 'cause I think it is one of the hardest challenges-
- MMMarina Mogilko
Mm-hmm
- MBMary Barra
... from a technological perspective, but I think we're gonna make advancements like we do today with Super Cruise. Um, and we'll make those advancements once we have, uh, eyes off from a highway perspective. And so in 2030, I, I think, you know, people are going to see that their vehicle allows them to lead a much more integrated life, that the vehicle makes their life easier, makes them more efficient, gives them back some
- 2:28 – 4:37
Exclusive future car reveal
- MBMary Barra
time. [upbeat music]
- MMMarina Mogilko
All right, welcome to the new Cadillac Escalade. That's the driving experience of 2028, when you don't have to look out and watch the cars. You don't have to put your hands on the wheel. You just go, have your TV screen here, catch up on your emails. Ah, this is what I'm waiting for. And I also like... 'Cause I always have my kids in the back, right? I can just pass things. I can talk to them, and the car will be driving by itself. Oh, my goodness, I love the screen situation. I love that now we have, like, a full-scale TV section here. There's a screen for the passenger. The seats are almost identical to what I have now, with the sound system here. They have the purse section right here, so you can put your bag. It's big. [chuckles] The charger, everything is electric. The steering wheel is, again, very similar to what I have. This is the technology. I think this is where they track, uh, your eyes and your hands. I cannot wait till 2028 to start driving this vehicle. I love how the Cadillac is this mix of technology and luxury. Because we have, you know, very smart vehicles on the market, but they don't feel like luxury. This feels beyond luxury. The blue stitches, like, all the details. It feels like it's a car from the future because of the design, but also, they maintained the classic, uh, the classic design, adding all the details. Another fascinating use case that I got from the presentation is that, imagine something's wrong with the vehicle, and you need to take it to service. Now, ideally, in 2028, your vehicle detects the problem by itself, 'cause it's AI-powered. Second, it knows when you need the car, so in the time when you don't need the car, it will just take itself to the service center, get serviced, come d- come back to your house for you to be ready to move. How
- 4:37 – 5:33
Why full autonomy is rare
- MMMarina Mogilko
do you look at competition? 'Cause there are already companies that are doing full autonomy. What do you think about that, like w- about this gap?
- MBMary Barra
Well, I think if you look at who's doing full autonomy, um, you know, you have... It's in the robotaxi arena.
- MMMarina Mogilko
Yeah.
- MBMary Barra
And so that's a very... And generally in a very, uh, concise ODD, even if it's in different cities, it, it's-
- MMMarina Mogilko
What's ODD?
- MBMary Barra
... um, operating, uh, an operating area.
- MMMarina Mogilko
Oh, got it. So it's like-
- MBMary Barra
Yeah.
- MMMarina Mogilko
Yeah.
- MBMary Barra
Right.
- MMMarina Mogilko
Mm-hmm.
- MBMary Barra
And so I think when you, uh, look at... We're talking about something much more broad on highways, at speed, and then moving into urban. So I think when we look at it from a personal autonomous, um, it's, it's going to- we, we think we'll be among the leaders in doing that and doing that safely. Uh, understand what the robotaxis are doing, but it, it is different than when you get into personal autonomy, and you have to integrate back and forth between, um, I'm driving the vehicle, and I'm responsible, to the vehicle is taking control. It's actually a much more complex, um, system to solve.
- 5:33 – 6:51
Two years to AI-driven cars
- MMMarina Mogilko
Gemini coming out next year, right?
- MBMary Barra
Mm-hmm.
- MMMarina Mogilko
Uh, so it's- you will be able to talk to your vehicle. Uh, you'll be able to ask, like, "Where is the nearest... " whatever. G- we don't need gas stations, but the nearest service, et cetera. What is the most compelling use case that you've seen with Gemini? Like, what makes it stand out?
- MBMary Barra
Well, I think when you look at AI and the fact that, you know, you can... It's not just, um, you know, play the latest Taylor Swift song, um, which I'm a Swiftie, so love. [chuckles]
- MMMarina Mogilko
[chuckles]
- MBMary Barra
But, uh, it, it, it can be much more of, "Hey, I'm headed here. Can you route me on the way? I'd like to stop and get, uh, you know, a coffee at my favorite coffee shop," or, "Hey, I'm kind of hungry. Um, I'm not familiar with this area. Uh, where's the best place for me to get, uh, a turkey sandwich?" You know, kind of thing. I mean, you can-... just ask it, like, my, or my favorite food is X, and it can help integrate that and make sure you're going to the re- the best restaurant. So it's gonna take all that information, and it's gonna be able to do that. As we get further along-
- MMMarina Mogilko
Mm-hmm
- MBMary Barra
... it's gonna be able to even integrate more and know how the, the systems in the vehicle are working-
- MMMarina Mogilko
Mm-hmm
- MBMary Barra
... and alert you before something happens, so you can take care of it. So I think it's gonna be a journey, you know, from what we have today to what we'll have with Google, and then the further integration with General Motors. We'll even be able to pull more information from the vehicle to make it even more personalized.
- 6:51 – 10:55
Cars will think for themselves
- MBMary Barra
[upbeat music]
- MMMarina Mogilko
I'm excited about AI in vehicles. So you're gonna integrate with Gemini. And I have a question from the user standpoint: Is it the same Gemini I have in my phone? Like, I mean, does it have information about me, or is it a specific Gemini for the vehicle that is not connected to me as a person?
- SPSpeaker
Okay, good question. So, uh, today we talked about almost, like, two timelines, actually. One is going to be, uh... You might already heard this from Google as well, which we are closely partnering with. Google Assistant is going to evolve and become Google Gemini in the vehicles, so therefore that's going to be where the journey starts. So that's gonna be the first upgrade. The second thing is, in addition, in parallel, we're working on developing our own assistant that is for GM by GM. Uh, we will use, of course, providers who are already providing large language models. Uh, we're not gonna be in the business of developing a frontier model or a foundation model. We will build on top of, uh, technologies, but we're not ready yet to disclose what, uh, backend we're gonna be using. But our goal with that GM assistant is to build something that's deeply contextually aware. 'Cause I think, I think we all know this, contextual AI is where the magic is gonna unlock. Now, we can get, we can get nerdy. We're talking about Silicon Valley here-
- MMMarina Mogilko
[chuckles]
- SPSpeaker
... where we, we will design a system where our assistant, our agent, will be able to talk to other agents. 'Cause the world you're describing is exactly that, right?
- MMMarina Mogilko
Oh, yeah.
- SPSpeaker
'Cause you are gonna have this graceful handoffs. You're gonna say, "Hey, I'm in New York. Look at the next three flights available." The AI should learn you prefer to fly, let's say, with United. It should talk to the United agent-
- MMMarina Mogilko
Mm-hmm
- SPSpeaker
... and say, "All right, here's the three flights that you might want to..." So that's the goal, what we want to create a uber agent, an uber assistant, that is the GM assistant, that can broker those type of interactions.
- MMMarina Mogilko
Love it. Let's imagine 2050-
- SPSpeaker
Okay. Well, [chuckles]
- MMMarina Mogilko
... what driving looks like with AI. Let's be super futuristic.
- SPSpeaker
Sure.
- MMMarina Mogilko
'Cause you're building this, right?
- SPSpeaker
Yeah.
- MMMarina Mogilko
You probably are thinking about-
- SPSpeaker
Somewhat
- MMMarina Mogilko
... those days. Okay, what is your wildest-
- SPSpeaker
2050, when is that? So it's 25 years from now on? So like we talked about earlier today, the level of autonomy, I think, is going to continue to increase. I think Mary even alluded to it in her presentation today, where you will- we will reach a world where the car would be doing things eva- even without you in the car, where it could run errands on your behalf, where it could take itself to be car washed and serviced and-
- MMMarina Mogilko
Yeah
- SPSpeaker
... change the tires. So I think 25 years is a long time, and I reserve to be wrong, and thank God it's such a long time.
- MMMarina Mogilko
Well, w- which we geht this earlier, something you described. It's already-
- SPSpeaker
It, it-
- MMMarina Mogilko
It feels like it's a possibility now.
- SPSpeaker
Again, it's possible. I think it's al- Now we can actually, again, get a little bit nerdy around, like, the diffusion of innovation, right? It, it's not equally distributed, right? We are experiencing that today. However, maybe the economics are not there yet for it to be mass scale, right? They're in pockets, right?
- MMMarina Mogilko
Mm-hmm.
- SPSpeaker
The robotaxi experience, those are expensive cars to build with those sensor sets. But in 25 years, one could imagine the sensors get cheaper, the AI models we use get smarter, so therefore, the v- world where we're seeing the car truly, fully autonomously behaving on your behalf, I think, will be real in 25 years.
- MMMarina Mogilko
The actual robot [chuckles] that we're gonna have in our household-
- SPSpeaker
Correct
- MMMarina Mogilko
... right?
- 10:55 – 11:53
This function won’t arrive soon
- MMMarina Mogilko
[chuckles] And when it comes to technology, um, so I asked one of my friends who's also working on, like, uh, self-driving. I'm like, "When will be the year when I can just put my kids in the car, and the car will take them to school?" When do you think this is coming? Uh, and is it available right now from the technology perspective? 'Cause you said from technology perspective, we can do it now. It's just the regulation.
- MBMary Barra
Well, I think right now we do have a patchwork of regulation. We're hoping for one federal regulation 'cause I think that will unlock a- autonomous technology. I think a lot of it, and, uh, being a mother myself, although my children are ad- adults now, um, is looking at, um, you know, when is the right time to do that? It... So I think, you know, from a technology perspective, we'll get there, and then it's gonna have to be a judgment piece of how old is your child-
- MMMarina Mogilko
Yeah
- MBMary Barra
... where are they going, all of that. Um, and so, you know, we're on our way to get there. Uh, and I, you know, I think that we'll get to a point. I think we need to get to full... You know, as we start with L4 highway, obviously, you know, you're still in the urban area is gonna need to take, um, responsibility for driving. So I think that'll happen
- 11:53 – 14:57
Future сars: friend or spy
- MBMary Barra
over time.
- MMMarina Mogilko
So when we're driving, right, right now, the vehicle is watching us, and it's seeing, like, my eye movements and everything. W- I- is it like surveillance? Like, does it-
- MMMarina Mogilko
... th- read my conversation? Like, what happens if the government wants to take my data? Like, what- the privacy issue.
- MBMary Barra
Well, and this is where, um, you know, we, we have a new, over a year now, a privacy officer that, uh, is working across the organization, helping people understand. We wanna make sure we're, uh, following all the privacy requirements, and, uh, you know, a lot of the information we feel is the customer's, so the customer has to give, give the company permission, even if we're gonna use it from an anonymized perspective. So everything we do will be with a focus on privacy and security, and then also cybersecurity. So that- we have dedicated people in the company that focus on making sure we understand the laws and that we're following all of them. And, and, you know, even more so, uh, doing what we think consumers would want us to do.
- MMMarina Mogilko
Mary brought up something that couldn't be more relevant today: privacy. And the truth is, AI already knows more about me than I realize. It knows what I buy, what I search for, how I move, sleep, and work. We rarely stop to think where all that information actually goes or who might have access to it. Can you imagine that in just a few years, even my car will probably know everything about me? What time I leave home, how often I call my mom, 'cause I call her almost every day when I'm driving. And with home robots now starting to appear, they'll soon have a window into every detail of family life. As technology and AI keep evolving, I can see that people are becoming much more aware of how their data is used and who they trust with it. Very soon, the companies that handle privacy responsibly will be the ones people choose to stay with, because trust is no longer just a nice-to-have. It's becoming the foundation of every relationship between users and brands. According to research from Usercentrics, 62% of consumers feel they've become the product, 77% don't understand how their data is handled, and 73% will stop buying from brands they don't trust with their data. This isn't theoretical. It's consumer behavior that impacts your bottom line. That's where Cookiebot CMP comes in. It's an automated consent management solution designed for exactly this problem. It automatically scans your website, identifies every cookie and tracker, classifies them by purpose, and manages user consent at scale. Cookiebot is Google certified and automatically updates when regulations change. It covers CCPA/CPRA, ePrivacy, and more. If you care about your users and don't want to lose your place in this highly competitive world, consider trying Cookiebot by Usercentrics. Cookiebot easily integrates with popular site builders like WordPress, Shopify, and Wix, helping you stay compliant and build trust with your audience. And just for my viewers, there's an extra bonus. You can get 15% off for six months if you sign up using the special link in the video description. Thanks to Usercentrics for sponsoring this video, and now back to our conversation with Mary.
- MMMarina Mogilko
The next
- 14:57 – 17:22
Eyes-free driving In 2028
- MMMarina Mogilko
step is taking your eyes off-
- MBMary Barra
Right
- MMMarina Mogilko
... the road.
- MBMary Barra
And that, that is what we, you know, we are going to be delivering, uh, in the '28 timeframe, uh, with, uh, again, with first from a highway perspective. So that's- that will happen, and then we'll keep advancing that and get to urban, et cetera. So, you know, that's coming in the not-too-distant future. It's really right around the corner.
- MMMarina Mogilko
So '28. We're, we're hoping for '28, right?
- MBMary Barra
Yeah, no, I mean, that's what the team is working toward. And, you know, when I look at what we've been able to build with all of the resources we have from a software perspective, and then, uh, what we had from a, uh, the, the team that's done Super Cruise, along with the Cruise resources, bringing them all together, then they're doing it right now.
- MMMarina Mogilko
Yeah.
- MBMary Barra
So that's what get- makes me really excited. [upbeat music]
- SPSpeaker
What we announced today is an eyes-off autonomy capability. Nothing of that sort exists in the market today. And when you think about that, you're basically asking the driver to take your eyes off, not pay attention at all on the road. Um, that's a very, very high bar, and for us to safely maneuver different conditions that we, you know, spoke about here in the demo, uh, we need sensor redundancies, uh, to be built in so that the car can handle very complex, uh, scenarios in all weather conditions without requiring human intervention. Like, human intervention cannot be a backup. That cannot be a safety valve, uh, and we're not gonna use it. So we are going-
- MMMarina Mogilko
So even if something's going on, there won't be a situation where the car just flashes red, like, "Take over, take over, take over"? So you're excluding that?
- SPSpeaker
So we will have situations where when the, uh, car is exiting its operational domain... So the product right now will launch with highways only, so we will on- you'll only be able to use this product when you're on the highway. When you are off the highway, uh, this product will not be, uh, available. And so when you're on the highway, you can use it, but as you are going to, uh, come to an exit, we will ask you to take over the control.
- MMMarina Mogilko
You have three different systems, right? You have lidar, you have cameras, and you have a ra-
- SPSpeaker
Radar
- MMMarina Mogilko
... radar.
- SPSpeaker
Yeah.
- MMMarina Mogilko
Can you talk to me about the difference between the three sy- systems?
- SPSpeaker
Yeah, so, um, what we wanted to share here is that, uh, how the different sensors come together to provide, uh, a 360-degree continuous, uh, information to our driving system to, uh, so that it enables it to make s- uh, splits or even fraction of a second, uh, decisions. It can see further, react faster than a human would e- ever can, and can work in all weather conditions.
- 17:22 – 18:50
What’s slowing down technology
- MMMarina Mogilko
When do you think the full autonomy is coming?
- MBMary Barra
You know, I think we're gonna keep approaching that, and as Sterling talked about, Sterling Anderson, who is our chief product officer, we're gonna keep working, uh, and making sure we do that safely. So it'll be... You'll see incrementally that we'll keep adding, adding from a, you know, a, the area in which you can do it to the complexity of the environment. So I, I learned, I, I first started making predictions about autonomy back in 2016, so I, I- as I look now, we're gonna, we're gonna put it into the vehicle as soon as it's ready, and it can be deployed safely.
- MMMarina Mogilko
Got it.
- MBMary Barra
And that's what will be the gating factor.
- MMMarina Mogilko
So safety is the main concern right now?
- MBMary Barra
Safe- safety is something... You know, General Motors-
- MMMarina Mogilko
Mm-hmm
- MBMary Barra
... has a rich history of having that relationship of trust with our consumer, that they, uh, they know we put a lot of thought into our systems being safe, and so we wanna put that same, uh, level of, uh, prioritizing safety that we have done in Super Cruise into, as we get to, uh, you know, L4 highway, and, and then we'll expand from there.
- MMMarina Mogilko
And Super Cruise, you mentioned 700 million miles?
- MBMary Barra
Yes, yes.
- MMMarina Mogilko
No accidents.
- MBMary Barra
Correct, correct.
- MMMarina Mogilko
That is fascinating.
- MBMary Barra
Yeah.
- MMMarina Mogilko
That's awesome.
- MBMary Barra
Well, it's... And again, it's, we know vehicles, and we've really looked to make sure that, that the technology, uh, is well-validated. So we're very proud of our safety record, and we work to continue to get better every day and give more features, like trailering and, uh, you know, integration with Google Maps. So there's new features and new m- uh, roads being added to, to Super Cruise, um, uh, all the time.
- MMMarina Mogilko
So we talked about AI
- 18:50 – 20:30
Car production In the AI era
- MMMarina Mogilko
transforming the driving experience.
- MBMary Barra
Mm-hmm.
- MMMarina Mogilko
How is it transforming the production?
- MBMary Barra
... Well, I think we're, we're leveraging, I mean, I think it's such an interesting time right now when you look at the power of artificial intelligence, and we're focusing on the main areas in the business of how do we use it to improve manufacturing? Uh, Sterling Anderson talked about one of the things that General Motors has that is unique is all of this information and data of, of how, uh, how, how things are manufactured. And I think when you look at that and the power of data to, to really help advance AI, we're in a unique position to make our, um, our manufacturing processes more efficient, serve our operators better. When we think about, um, designing the vehicle, uh, you know, looking at the areas that we can- that right now people are doing, how do we make it more efficient and, and allow our engineers to really focus on optimizing technology, um, you know, safety? Uh, it allows us to do more validation. There's so much from that perspective. And then from a how we go to market, imagine leveraging artificial intelligence to really understand the customer better and reach that customer in a more focused way so they get the information they want. There's been so much advancement in that space as well. And then lastly, what I would say is also putting the tools, um, in the hands of our employees. One of the things I've encouraged, uh, everyone at the company to do is become familiar with it, because it's easy to kind of be a little bit wary of it if you don't understand it. Once you use it, I think it really... And I, I make sure I'm constantly using it, um, even in my daily life, unrelated to work, to just see the power of it. Because once you use it, you use it for this, and you're like, "Oh, I can use it for this." It's, um, you know, one of the things my daughter does that I
- 20:30 – 22:24
Daily AI habits of GM CEO
- MBMary Barra
think is so interesting, she'll- she's going to college to get her master's degree, and she'll be like: "Um, I'd like a, a shopping list with... I'm gluten-free, with... I need it to be healthy, I want it to be this level of calories, and I don't want it to have too many, um, different things that I have to buy, so give me the recipes for a week."
- MMMarina Mogilko
Yeah.
- MBMary Barra
And boom! And she's like, "Mom, it's really good, and it really works."
- MMMarina Mogilko
What's your favorite use case?
- MBMary Barra
Uh, just the other day, I, I've been having some shoulder pain, and so I, I got the test results, and of course, I, I get it now on the portal before you, you know, you have anything from back from your doctor. I put it into... This time, I used ChatGPT, and it came back, and it's like, "Yeah, you've got a, a tendon that's inflamed." And of course, it's, uh, my mother, who, um, passed away many years ago, but she always used to tell me to sit up straight, and some of it is for- you know, some of my soreness is because of posture. I'm like: "Okay, my mom, I've got to listen to you. I've got to sit up straight." But, I mean, I think I never before I would've waited, you know, to hear from the doctor, and I was able to go in and understand what it is and understand what I need to do to, to alleviate it. So, I mean, just a couple of years ago, you know, you would've had to wait for the doctor. So, and then, you know, there's the easy one of I look in the fridge, what do we have? Okay, give me something interesting to make.
- MMMarina Mogilko
Take a picture.
- MBMary Barra
Yeah.
- MMMarina Mogilko
Yeah.
- MBMary Barra
Yeah. [chuckles] Oh, yeah, you know, that's a really good point. Take a picture even more, so then-
- MMMarina Mogilko
Exactly
- MBMary Barra
... saying, "I have this, this, and this."
- MMMarina Mogilko
Yeah.
- MBMary Barra
I'll do that. [laughing]
- MMMarina Mogilko
Yeah, I do that all the time. What about work processes? What have you optimized with AI for you personally?
- MBMary Barra
For me, I think it's, it's, um, m- how do I, you know, write much more quickly, uh, when I'm writing an email, or how do I get information if I want to learn something about a new technology? Uh, just asking the question, so boom, I get the information. I can read it, as opposed to having to send some- send it to someone else, say, "Hey, can you give me a, a s- you know, a summary of this?" So, I mean, just so much more information is digestible, uh, you know, or is given back to you in a very digestible format. I'm, I'm using it several times a day, and, and then also, um, again, how I do my work.
- MMMarina Mogilko
Let's get back
- 22:24 – 27:17
AI kills entry-level jobs: advice
- MMMarina Mogilko
to, uh, factories and workers. If somebody wants to k- someone who's inspired by your journey, when you started working for GM when you were 18, and now you're the CEO, if somebody wants the same journey, and they're thinking, "You know what? Entry-level jobs are being replaced with AI, and how do I repeat this journey in the current environment?" What would be your advice?
- MBMary Barra
Well, first of all, if you want to be in the auto industry, I mean, I would, I would make sure that you get into the, the core of the business. Uh, joining to, to work, um, as a manufacturing person in our, in our company, I, I started as an engineer working in a plant. Knowing how... And, and from when I started over 40 years ago to now, it's- there's so much has advanced in the plants. But understanding what it takes to put a car on the road with high quality, to do it efficiently, with an engaged workforce, I think that's so important. So I still- I always encourage people, whatever industry you're excited about, make sure you're in the core of it. You're in how we design vehicles, all the software, how we, um, how we make vehicles, how we go to market. I would- in an industry you're excited about, go in and join a company and really immerse yourself in where they are today. You know, so many people who are, are graduating from college or, you know, coming in with certificates are... They have so much knowledge already from the way technology, they, they, you know, leveraged it, um, to, to go through their schooling at whatever level they are. You bring all that, and you can immediately say, "Hey, here's how we can make it better." I was talking a couple of years to- years ago of, of, um, an employee who joined the company, and it was in our finance area. Uh, and he had, got a job, and he said, "Yeah, I was able to use these tools I used from college and able to take what was usually gonna take three days, and I could do it in three hours." I mean, I think, so I think what somebody who's starting their career, they have to realize, you know, they really have a lot of knowledge in the way they learn to do work that they can bring into the workplace, and that's what we're trying to do right now across many functions of, uh, for instance, in human resources. How do we take some of the things that a human resource professional needs to do, that is, you know, getting the data in the right place and getting that information, getting that done e- more effectively with AI so that person can have more, uh, more of a high touch with the people-
- MMMarina Mogilko
Yeah
- MBMary Barra
... that are in the area that he or she is supporting? Those are things I think we can do, that the human connection is gonna become more important-
- MMMarina Mogilko
Mm-hmm
- MBMary Barra
... and the quality of it, because the person isn't spending all the time doing some of the more r-
- MMMarina Mogilko
Computer
- MBMary Barra
... you know, routine things-
- MMMarina Mogilko
Mm-hmm
- MBMary Barra
... that they can really understand that person better, understand the process better, work for higher quality. I think it's really going to advance.
- MMMarina Mogilko
What are the personal traits that you're looking for?... we hiring?
- MBMary Barra
I think you have to have someone who is passionate about what they do. Um, I, I also would say, um, you know, a high-quality person, integrity, work hard, [chuckles] but then-
- MMMarina Mogilko
I like that, a high-quality person. [laughs]
- MBMary Barra
Yeah. Yes, you know, somebody who, who, you know-
- MMMarina Mogilko
Mm
- MBMary Barra
... is willing to come in and work hard and wants to learn and, you know, understands that one of the things I talk about at GM, we're gonna do the right thing even when it's hard. And integrity is such an important piece of it. We talk at General Motors, winning with integrity, because if you win without it, you really haven't won.
- MMMarina Mogilko
Mm.
- MBMary Barra
And so people who are aligned with, with the company's values but are passionate about the work, willing to work hard, and curious, that they wanna learn. Because technology is advancing, in any industry, it's advancing so quickly, that if you don't have a learning mindset and a curiosity to like, "Hmm, how can I make this better?" Or, "I wanna go learn about that," um, I think it- that to me is what's gonna, uh, separate and empower people to do things and have careers that we can't even imagine right now.
- MMMarina Mogilko
Is there anything that keeps you up at night in-
- MBMary Barra
Well-
- MMMarina Mogilko
... AI age?
- MBMary Barra
Yes. I mean, of course. I mean, I, I think it's so important to, uh, adopt artificial intelligence and all technology responsibly and, and do it well. But I think, uh, as we go forward, companies that say, "Hey, I'm gonna wait. I'll sit this lap out. I'll see how it goes," I think you're gonna be so far behind. So to me, it's making sure, are we doing the right things, and are we, uh, really engaging our workforce and empowering them as opposed to, you know, them being wary of it? I think that's a big piece that we're doing. I feel good about the strategy we have, and we've been adaptable. I mean, the world is changing dramatically, and in the auto industry from a regulatory perspective, from a supply chain perspective, uh, from a consumer perspective-
- MMMarina Mogilko
What people are expecting from a vehicle now, right?
- MBMary Barra
E- exactly.
- MMMarina Mogilko
Because everything is smart suddenly.
- MBMary Barra
It is.
- MMMarina Mogilko
Yeah.
- MBMary Barra
So I think I have a healthy paranoia about that to make sure-
- MMMarina Mogilko
Mm
- MBMary Barra
... we're on the cutting edge.
- 27:17 – 30:48
Rituals to keep your focus
- MMMarina Mogilko
on, when you're looking at everything happening, what helps you stay grounded and stay focused?
- MBMary Barra
Oh, gosh.
- MMMarina Mogilko
Any rituals?
- MBMary Barra
Um, you know, for me, um, obviously, I, I work hard, um, but my family. Um, I... You know, I'm, I'm blessed. I've been married for 40 years to, um, my husband. We met right- we met in college, and, and, you know, and so, uh, just I think what grounds me and what re-energizes me is spending time with my family and, and friends.
- MMMarina Mogilko
Is there, like, certain limit that you say, like, "I spend weekends with my family. Evenings are for family"? Do you have something like that?
- MBMary Barra
I think you have to be more flexible, but one of the things I try to do, and I try to make sure I'm, I'm pretty much up to... You know, have everything done as I kind of close the laptop on Friday evening, and then I try to not be, you know, glued to my phone or my computer on Saturday, just to get a chance to, to recharge. And then usually Sunday afternoon, I'm starting to prepare for the next week. But I find that time, just even, you know, i- if it's a half a day or a day to take that breath, it, it recharges me to, to think about things differently. And, you know, literally when I get back to something and be like, "Oh, you know what?" Um, I'll, I'll look at it, and I'll see something, um, you know, different, or I'll look at it from a different perspective that I think allows me to be more effective. And I encourage people to find what recharges them. But I think in today's age, um, you have to... There's things that are happening so quickly, you can't just say, "Oh, Friday afternoon to Monday morning, I'm never gonna look at-
- MMMarina Mogilko
Mm.
- MBMary Barra
... It's just, I don't think it's the world we're living in."
- MMMarina Mogilko
So you still have to compromise.
- MBMary Barra
Mm-hmm.
- MMMarina Mogilko
You have to work. Yeah.
- MBMary Barra
But you do- I would say on the flip side, you do have to make sure you're finding that way that you recharge or you're... You know, one of the things as a working mom, you know, people... Somebody gave me really great advice and said, "Sometimes the most urgent or often the most urgent is not the most important."
- MMMarina Mogilko
That's 100% true-
- MBMary Barra
And so every-
- MMMarina Mogilko
... most of the time. [chuckles]
- MBMary Barra
Right. And so you have to, you know, step back and say, "Am I constantly letting what appears to be the most urgent take me away, that I'm never doing what's the most important?"
- MMMarina Mogilko
Yeah.
- MBMary Barra
Um, because I know you have two young little girls.
- MMMarina Mogilko
Yeah.
- MBMary Barra
Is it Lily and Emily?
- MMMarina Mogilko
Oh, wow, yes. [chuckles]
- MBMary Barra
Yes.
- MMMarina Mogilko
Yeah.
- MBMary Barra
And, um, Precious is pr- they're, they're, they're little, right?
- MMMarina Mogilko
Yeah.
- MBMary Barra
They're, yeah.
- MMMarina Mogilko
Yeah, we just got a puppy for them, so-
- MBMary Barra
Oh, my gosh!
- MMMarina Mogilko
... A, a-
- MBMary Barra
What kind of puppy did you get?
- 30:48 – 31:57
Sharing our car favorites
- MMMarina Mogilko
it's hard to choose your favorites, but what's your favorite GM car?
- MBMary Barra
Yeah, that is really hard for me because I, uh, I had the opportunity to run Global Product Development, so I felt like every vehicle in the portfolio played sp- such a special role. Uh, I would say, though, uh, you know, right now, [chuckles] I love driving a Hummer EV.
- MMMarina Mogilko
Mm.
- MBMary Barra
Um-
- MMMarina Mogilko
Oh, my God-
- MBMary Barra
Yeah
- MMMarina Mogilko
... that car?
- MBMary Barra
I love driving that vehicle. It's got four-wheel steer, so it's so maneuverable.
- MMMarina Mogilko
Yeah.
- MBMary Barra
And I feel like when I'm driving a Hummer EV, I get some respect. You know, people are like, "Hey!"
- MMMarina Mogilko
Absolutely.
- MBMary Barra
Yeah. [laughs]
- MMMarina Mogilko
I definitely saw those looks when, when you gave me the car for like-
- MBMary Barra
Yeah
- MMMarina Mogilko
... a week to drive around.
- MBMary Barra
Yeah.
- MMMarina Mogilko
People still come down like, "Wow."... a girl.
- MBMary Barra
Yeah.
- MMMarina Mogilko
Hummer.
- MBMary Barra
Like, yeah.
- MMMarina Mogilko
Yeah. [laughs]
- MBMary Barra
[laughs]
- MMMarina Mogilko
Definitely-
- MBMary Barra
Right
- MMMarina Mogilko
... got those looks. That's awesome.
- MBMary Barra
But I'm also a big, uh, fan of Corvettes.
- MMMarina Mogilko
Mm-hmm.
- MBMary Barra
Uh, so, you know, I love the, the styling, the speed, and the heritage. And one of the things that makes Corvettes so special is it, you know, the- it's a true American... It's affordable. It's a Chevrolet. But, you know, people come to me now, and they'll say, like, "Oh, my gosh, Mary, this vehicle is as good as a, a vehicle that is three times as expensive."
- MMMarina Mogilko
Mm.
- MBMary Barra
Like, you know, uh, really, General Motors has cracked the code on this type of performance, so, um, that's, that's always rewarding.
- 31:57 – 34:01
Flying сars expected in...
- MMMarina Mogilko
a weird question, [chuckles] but you're the person to ask it.
- MBMary Barra
Okay.
- MMMarina Mogilko
Flying cars.
- MBMary Barra
Um, you know, there's some physics involved in that.
- MMMarina Mogilko
Mm.
- MBMary Barra
Um, you know, from, like... And, you know, there's companies working on vertical takeoff, uh, type of vehicles. Um, you know, I would never say never, because I think we're innovating, and, and new technologies are coming every day, but, uh, I think right now I'm gonna stay on the road.
- MMMarina Mogilko
Yeah. [laughs]
- MBMary Barra
[laughs]
- MMMarina Mogilko
Just- uh, is it because the- of the technology or just... What I'm thinking, like, do I wanna drive and then have a couple more layers of cars above me? That, from the safety standpoint, that's weird. If somebody crashes [chuckles] then it's-
- MBMary Barra
Right. Well, I think about that today with, uh, all that's happening with drones, uh, and so, you know, and how they're- how, you know, the, the govern- you know, FAA is managing airspace and about what le- levels. So like I said, I don't- I, I never say never, 'cause I think we'll continue to advance. I grew up watching The Jetsons.
- MMMarina Mogilko
Mm.
- MBMary Barra
So, um, who knows what we'll see in the future? But I think there are- there's, there's challenges like you're talking from, you know, how do- who gets what space, and I think there's some technology challenges. But I think in the future, probably, um, you know, people will solve those challenges.
- MMMarina Mogilko
Thank you so much, Mary. It was such a great conversation.
- MBMary Barra
Thank you.
- MMMarina Mogilko
Thank you for doing this.
- MBMary Barra
And thanks, uh, for the time you've invested in spending in our vehicles. I'm glad that you love your Escalade.
- MMMarina Mogilko
Oh, it's the best, the best. I love my Escalade. I enjoyed the Vistiq, the Hummer, uh, and Buick, 'cause-
- MBMary Barra
Yes
- MMMarina Mogilko
... the Super Cruise. I'm like, "The Buick can now go by itself." I didn't expect that.
- MBMary Barra
Yes. I, you know, Buick has been growing from a share perspective, and, uh, I'm really proud of it, 'cause it really stands for premium luxury for someone who maybe doesn't want what Cadillac stands for, of true luxury, and I'm so proud of that. I'm proud of that brand and how the port- product portfolio is really continuing to gain share, uh, and, and conquest customers for us, which is, which is wonderful.
- MMMarina Mogilko
When, when we got the Buick, my daughter entered it, and she was like, "Is that a Maybach?"
- MBMary Barra
Oh, my God.
- MMMarina Mogilko
So-
- MBMary Barra
I, I like her.
- MMMarina Mogilko
Good. [laughs]
- MBMary Barra
Yeah. And I saw her review of the Vistiq.
- MMMarina Mogilko
Oh, yeah. [laughs]
- MBMary Barra
It was precious. [laughs] Thank you. [laughs]
- MMMarina Mogilko
She loves it.
- MBMary Barra
Oh, good.
Episode duration: 34:01
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