GM had the Cadillac/CMU technology, but due to...I'll call it managerial oversight, they lost their initial IP to Google in 2009 (basically everybody had left and took their knowledge with them) and then again to Delphi in 2015 with the Ottomatika acquisition.

GM knew it needed self-driving technology, and Cruise was in the right place at the right time. Kudos to Cruise for pulling it off. Hopefully GM doesn't repeat themselves and effectively kill the technology for a 3rd time.