Rivian's New AI Assistant Will Let You Talk to Your Car
Soon you can ask your car to plan dinner and warm your seat.
Rivian, an electric vehicle maker, recently launched an AI assistant that lets drivers and passengers control car features by talking. You can ask it to turn down the temperature, activate seat warmers, or read the news. The company built its own software from scratch, so it's not just using Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. This means Rivian can customize the experience deeply.
At a recent tech conference, Rivian's CEO RJ Scaringe said the next step is to let other companies' AI agents run in the car. For example, you might use Anthropic's Claude or Meta's Muse assistant while driving. Imagine asking your car to turn on ventilated seats and then help plan a dinner party based on a conversation you had earlier on your phone. That's the kind of seamless help Rivian envisions.
But there are challenges. Rivian has to work with AI labs to connect everything smoothly. Also, safety is key: you wouldn't want an AI to control brakes or steering. So vehicle-level controls stay in human hands. The AI would only handle non-critical tasks, like entertainment or planning. Rivian hasn't said when this will happen, but more details are coming in December.
Other carmakers like Tesla are also adding AI assistants. So your car is becoming a smart device that can anticipate your needs. This could save you time and make driving more enjoyable. But it also raises privacy questions: how much does your car know about you? And will it share that data? For now, Rivian is focused on making the technology work safely and smoothly.
- Rivian's new AI assistant lets you control car features with your voice, like adjusting temperature or seats.
- In the future, you could use AI agents from other companies, like Anthropic, to help with tasks like meal planning while you drive.
- Safety is a priority: AI won't control critical functions like brakes or steering, so you stay in charge.
Why It Matters
Your car could become a helpful assistant, saving time and making drives more productive.