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General Motors just offered a glimpse into an AI-powered future in which drivers read a book or answer texts while their cars whisk them to their destinations. On Wednesday, the company announced its plans to introduce a suite of advanced software systems into its vehicles, bringing the traditional automaker up to speed on in-vehicle technology. At its GM Forward media event in New York, GM outlined its near-term plans for reimagining cars as intelligent assistants that drive their owners around. The company announced a major update to its driving assistance system that would bring hands-free, eyes-off highway driving to vehicles, starting with the Cadillac Escalade IQ in 2028. The technology will rely on integrated lidar, radar, and cameras, and a new internal and external turquoise lighting system to signal that the self-driving tech is active. The new eyes-off driving technology will push beyond the limits of GMs existing Super Cruise system, which offers hands-free highway driving but requires a drivers attention. Next year, GM also plans to add Googles Gemini AI into its vehicles, making it possible to talk to your car as naturally as you would to a fellow passenger. Down the road, GM plans to introduce its own AI assistant tied into OnStar, its subscription service that offers safety, security, and navigation features. The company says its future custom AI could be useful for explaining one-pedal driving in your new vehicle, spotting a maintenance issue early, or finding the perfect place for dinner. In a controversial move, GM apparently plans to abandon support for connecting Apple CarPlay and Android Auto through a smartphone in all of its vehicles, pushing an in-house custom infotainment system instead. For potential car buyers already accustomed to phone projection systems, the decision sounds like a nonstarter. On The Verges Decoder podcast, GM chief product officer Sterling Anderson likened the decision to Apple removing the disk drive from its laptopsa strange analogy and a risky bet, considering CarPlays popularity and ease of use. GM also announced plans to debut its own centralized computing platform that will run under the hood in both its gas and electric vehicles. The platform will weave together disparate systems like propulsion, steering, safety, and infotainment, uniting them on a single, high-speed computing core that is set to debut in the 2028 Escalade IQ. In other high-tech investments, GM will expand its program for home energy capture and storage, and integrate more collaborative robots to supplement its human workforce. GMs outlook brightens Looking forward, we believe our investments in advanced technologies, manufacturing, and talent will build on our solid foundation and make GM even more innovative, resilient, and capable of leading through change, GM CEO Mary Barra said in the companys earnings call this week. GMs stock popped on Tuesday, jumping the largest amount in almost six years after the company adjusted its expected annual profits upward. The automaker attributed the positive outlook to new policies meant to lighten the impact of tariffs on U.S. car makers and its own plan to reduce its losses on electric vehicles, which have taken a hit under Trump. With the evolving regulatory framework and the end of federal consumer incentives, it is now clear that near-term EV adoption will be lower than planned, Barra said. That is why we are reassessing our EV capacity and manufacturing footprint. . . . By acting swiftly and decisively to address overcapacity, we expect to reduce EV losses in 2026 and beyond.” In spite of lapsing EV tax credits and an administration steering in the opposite direction, GM still calls electric vehicles its North Star.
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E-Commerce
This year has not been a great one for grocery stores, with chains like Kroger and Safeway closing locations in recent months. Now, the Southeastern grocery chain Winn-Dixie appears to be following in their footsteps, with its parent company planning to sell or possibly shutter 32 Winn-Dixie stores by the end of 2025 as its focus shifts to its home state of Florida. It will also transition or close eight Harveys Supermarket locations. The 40 stores impacted span Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Southeastern Grocers (SEG), the Jacksonville, Florida-based company that owns both chains, posted a list of stores that it will transition, with some identifying new operators such as Piggly Wiggly and Super 1 Foods, and others marked “pending.” It’s unclear which of the pending stores will close and which will transition to new ownership. Reached for comment by Fast Company, SEG reiterated that it has “reached agreements or is advancing plans with multiple grocers.” It said store closures are expected by the end of the year, but did not elaborate. SEG further noted that southern Georgia will maintain stores in Brunswick, Folkston, Lake Park, St. Simons Island, and Valdosta. The company expects the transitions will be completed by early 2026. A new name for a new era SEG announced the transitions and closures alongside news that it will rebrand as the Winn-Dixie Company. The new name will roll out by early 2026. The change honors Winn-Dixies century-long legacy while positioning the grocer for growth through investments designed to modernize stores, enrich the customer experience, and reimagine the neighborhood grocer for the next 100 years, the soon-to-be Winn-Dixie Company stated in a press release. The company is also expanding, despite the divestitures. Its acquiring Hitchcocks Markets in three Florida cities: Alachua, Keystone Heights, and Williston. Each will become a Winn-Dixie, with the Williston location expected to open by the end of the year and the other two locations slated for summer 2026. These new stores and transitions will leave the company with about 130 grocery stores and 140 freestanding liquor stores. SEG is also moving forward with dozens of remodels while growing its liquor store portfolio and its own product offerings. Plus, it will be piloting tools such as third-party delivery and return kiosks.
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E-Commerce
Breakfast has started to get a little riskier. More than six million eggs have been recalled since Sept. 29 over salmonella concerns. This week those concerns grew when the FDA expanded its earlier recall from Arkansas-based Black Sheep Egg Company and elevated the recall to Class I, which describes the highest possible risk to public health. The move follows a string of other recent egg recalls. In August, the FDA announced the recall of large brown cage-free Sunshine Yolks produced by Country Eggs, LLC of Lucerne Valley, California, and sold under the Nagatoshi Produce, Mizuho, and Nijiya Markets brands. Those products reportedly sickened at least 95 people across 14 states. Other recent recalls have also affected Costcos Kirkland brand eggs. Why the uptick in food recalls? If it seems like there has been an uptick in recalls recently, that’s not entirely unfounded. Food recalls have increased by around 20% from 2020 to 2023, according to a Trace One report. However, experts say that much of the reason for a greater number of recalls is because tests are more sensitive to picking up contamination. This heightened sensitivity leads to more recalls, as contamination is identified earlier and more accurately, says Darin Detwiler, LP. D., author of Food Safety: Past, Present, and Predictions and a professor at Northeastern University. Likewise, food safety regulations have gotten more stringent since the Food Safety Modernization Act of 2011, which means recalls are triggered more easily. Since the passing of the act, “theres been a huge improvement in food supply regulation,” Toby Amidor, MS, RD, CDN and author of Health Shots said last year. “Regulations such as all facilities are required to have a preventative control plan, enhanced produce safety rules, and more frequent FDA facility inspections have helped with improvement.” Amidor added, “In addition, facilities must give the FDA access to food safety records, greater authority over imported food, and comply with the agency to issue mandatory recalls.” The growing list of recalled eggs Per the Oct. 20 recall notice, the recall now includes Black Sheep Egg Company brand 12- and 18-count cartons of Free Range Large Grade A Brown Eggs with Best By dates of 8/22/2025 through 10/31/2025. Likewise, Kenz Henz of Santa Fe, Texas recalled its 12-count containers of “Grade AA Large Pasture Raised eggs”, which came from Black Sheep Egg Company over possible contamination. The affected cartons are marked with UPC code 86949400030, Julian dates 241244 and 246247, with best-by dates of October 11th through the 14th and October 16th and 17th. The FDA also said that the eggs have been distributed to other companies in Arkansas and Missouri from July 9 through Sept. 17, and said some of the products may have been repackaged. The notice explained that the list will be updated as the FDA receives new information with the potential for more products to be added to the recall list. The updated recall comes after salmonella was found at the company’s processing facility in Walnut Ridge, Arkansas in late September. During the inspection, 40 environmental samples tested positive for salmonella, including seven different strains of the bacteria. Per the announcement, the “FDA does not have information available at this time to suggest that this firm is the source of an ongoing outbreak. “ Black Sheep Egg Company said in a Facebook post that while the FDAs tested non-food contact surfaces which found salmonella, however, the eggs “tested negative for salmonella and showed no signs of contamination. The post continued, Out of an abundance of caution and with the safety of our consumers in mind, we made the proactive decision to initiate a voluntary recall on certain lots of eggs.” The Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that Salmonella causes “about 1.35 million illnesses, 26,500 hospitalizations, and 420 deaths” per year in the U.S.
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E-Commerce
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