Rivian, known for its innovative electric vehicles, is preparing to roll out an AI-powered voice assistant in 2025. During a recent Q&A session in Venice, California, Rivian’s chief software officer Wassym Bensaid detailed the company’s vision for elevating voice control in the R1T and R1S, setting the stage for a new era of in-car controls.
Promising industry-leading voice commands
Bensaid shared that Rivian’s voice assistant aims to go beyond basic commands. The system will use artificial intelligence to process multiple instructions simultaneously and understand the intent behind commands.
“It will redefine how you interact with your car,” Bensaid said, emphasizing that Rivian’s approach prioritizes intuitive functionality over the limitations of current systems.
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Unwilling to settle for less
Voice-to-text messaging will be among the assistant’s first capabilities. While many cars already offer this feature, Bensaid said that current options often fall short, citing issues like missed texts and inconsistent emoji support. Rivian’s solution promises to deliver a smoother, more reliable experience, addressing customer frustrations with older systems.
“Please be patient with us,” Bensaid urged, noting that while the feature has been in development for two years, Rivian’s high standards have delayed its release.
Industry competition heats up
Rivian isn’t the only automaker exploring advanced voice tech. Mercedes-Benz’s MBUX system is rolling out a beta program to integrate ChatGPT. Other cars equipped with Android Auto or Google integration already benefit from Google Assistant, but Google’s more advanced Gemini AI is expected to be added to Android Auto at some point in the future.
Rivian’s goal is to surpass these competitors by delivering a seamless, immersive experience that sets a new industry standard. “It’s not that we don’t want to have the feature; we will have it and it will be better than anything we have today in the industry,” Bensaid said.
Expanded features on the horizon
In addition to the voice assistant, Rivian plans to introduce native YouTube integration and Google Cast support by the end of 2024 through over-the-air updates.
Rivian’s technological expertise will likely find its way into Volkswagen models at some point as well. Last month, Volkswagen announced a $5.8 billion investment into Rivian to leverage the company’s software and electrical architecture technologies.
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Final thoughts
In-car voice commands have lagged behind the AI-powered tech we’ve quickly grown accustomed to with our phones, but Rivian may be changing that. Bensaid told reporters that he wants a driver to be able to control anything through a voice command that they could control through the touchscreen—all with natural language.
If the company can pull off the feat, they’ll be setting a high standard for the rest of the industry to rise to. But what do you think? Do you use your voice assistant in your car? If not, would you use it if you could talk to it in natural language?
