[VIDEO] Futuristic Corvette Concepts Serve as the Backdrop in this NBC News Profile with GM CEO Mary Barra

Jun 5, 2026

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Screenshots: NBC News

Was that the C9 Corvette just unveiled during an NBC News interview Thursday with General Motors CEO Mary Barra?

Probably not, since GM makes a point of not talking about future products, but showcasing the recent Corvette concept cars may be an indication of the stylistic direction that the next generation of America’s sports car is headed.

Barra appeared on NBC News’ series “Business in America” this week, with most of the interview focusing on the future of the auto industry. Still, tucked in the 3-minute interview was a brief mention of the Corvette.

The 46-year GM veteran – who started as a quality inspector at 18 and became the only woman ever to lead a major global car company – says A.I. is now a core tool in development of the company’s vehicles, letting designers make micro-adjustments to surfaces – a roofline here, a fender edge there – and instantly see how those changes affect aerodynamics. What once took weeks of modeling and simulation now happens in minutes.

“We have an A.I. tool that lets us estimate the aero on a concept and really dial it in,” Barra explains. “Then when we get the design, we take it into the actual wind tunnel and do the work.”

At GM’s Design Center outside Detroit, old-school craftsmanship meets digital speed. Clay modelers still shape the Corvette’s muscular form by hand, but right beside them, designers feed sketches into A.I. systems that generate hyper-realistic renderings of potential next-gen Corvettes, even placing them on virtual roads to study stance and presence.

What used to be a long creative cycle is now a rapid-fire exploration of ideas. More concepts. More iterations. More chances to find the Corvette that deserves to wear the crossed flags.

Barra stresses that A.I. isn’t replacing people – it’s amplifying them. “It’s how we give the tools to people to be able to do better work. It’s how we do more with the people we have.”

While GM navigates industry pressures – from rising gas prices to competition with low-cost Chinese EVs – Barra maintains that development of the company’s vehicles remain rooted in innovation, not shortcuts. She argues that U.S. automakers need a level playing field on tariffs and subsidies but insists GM is positioned to compete and win.

After more than four decades at the company, Barra says the GM mission hasn’t changed: build vehicles that inspire. And few inspire like the Corvette – now evolving faster than ever, shaped by wind, clay, and increasingly, code.

Source:
NBC News

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4 COMMENTS

Michael J. Genzale Jun 6, 2026 At 6:51 am

Barra is keeping GM focused on what it is, vehicles.
That includes our beloved Corvette.
In the past to much money, time, effort and energy was spent on other.
Buying companies not directly related to the core GM function. Leading to poor quality, lack of focus on design and innovation, ultimately market share.
A true leader surrounds himself or herself with the right people, not sycophants that ‘yes’ them to death.
Old Geezer Jun 6, 2026 At 10:48 am

Good Job Mary.
IPD Jun 6, 2026 At 3:24 pm

I’ll believe that AI is leading the charge, when GM starts putting intuitive stuff into the Corvette. Like proper physical buttons. Ambient lighting. Control layouts that make intuitive sense for human motion and ergonomics. Interior layouts that flow coherently and sensibly (vs. the disjointed hockey-sticks on the dash).

LC500 interior looks much more like AI guided the fluidity of design. That’s the same thing GM should be shooting for.
[email protected] Jun 6, 2026 At 9:33 pm

Hey you can’t do this listen Corvette’s American made ain’t going to be never spoke by or talked about by some stupid computer they don’t know what they’re talking about listen this is America you need to stop what you’re doing and stop right now you don’t believe me I’ll show you I’m way better I’ll tell you what it’s going to be I’ll tell you it’s going to be listening you take it down right now ai does not talk about what it is no not here