UPDATED 17:55 EDT / MARCH 11 2016

General Motors President Dan Ammann (right) with Cruise Automation co-founders Kyle Vogt (center) and Daniel Kan (left). NEWS

GM buy boosts self-driving car efforts, needs AI talent

General Motors Co. announced that it will acquire Cruise Automation, Inc., a software company based in San Francisco that specializes in autonomous vehicle technology.

Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed, but Fortune reports that it could be “north of $1 billion,” in stocks and cash.

Cruise Automation was founded in 2013 and it built the first highway autopilot system that installs on existing vehicles. Since its inception, the company has raised $18.8 million in three rounds from 30 Investors including Spark Capital, Maven Ventures, Founder Collective, and Y Combinator.

Kevin Kelly, GM’s spokesman, did not comment on the price of the deal, but stated the acquisition is expected to close in the second quarter and Cruise Automation will still operate independently of GM. The plan for Cruise Automation is to add the best talent in the industry. The news of the acquisition is visible on Cruise Automation’s page along with a listing of 10 job openings that includes engineers for AI/Simulation, Computer Vision/Machine Learning, DevOps, Internship, Lead Safety, Perception, Senior Security, Software, and Vise President, along with a spot for a Technical Recruiter.

GM recently created a team exclusively for self-driving vehicles, and this acquisition is expected to blend well with this effort.

“Cruise provides our company with a unique technology advantage that is unmatched in our industry. We intend to invest significantly to further grow the talent base and capabilities already established by the Cruise team,” Mark Reuss, GM executive vice president, Global Product Development, Purchasing and Supply Chain, said in a statement.

GM’s effort in the autonomous vehicle space also includes its $500 million investment in Lyft, Inc. to automated on-demand rides. The investment led to the creation of Maven, GM’s own car-sharing service, to be able to “provide the high level of personalized mobility services our customers expect today and in the future.”

The autonomous car war

GM is not the only automotive manufacturer that has dipped its foot in the self-driving car market. Ford Motor Co. is said to be working on a partnership with Google for self-driving cars,at CES 2016, it announced that it will be adding Android Auto and Apple CarPlay to its cars, and at the Detroit Auto Show it announced FordPass, an app that helps drivers find available parking spaces.

Tesla Motors, Inc. released an update back in January that adds a Summon feature allowing Tesla Model S and Model X owners remotely park their cars as well as summon the car when it’s time to leave.

At the Detroit Auto Show, Toyota Motor Corp. showed off a tricked out Mirai vehicle that utilizes flat-panelled antenna technology for automotive connectivity.

Image via General Motors Co., General Motors President Dan Ammann (right) with Cruise Automation co-founders Kyle Vogt (center) and Daniel Kan (left).

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