Rivian and Volkswagen expand their joint venture to include an AI assistant

In short: Rivian is adding its AI voice assistant technology to its $5.8 billion partnership with Volkswagen Group.

What happened

Rivian and Volkswagen Group already have a joint venture, which is a shared business partnership, focused on bringing Rivian’s software and vehicle electronics into future Volkswagen vehicles. Rivian now says that partnership will also cover parts of Rivian’s AI voice assistant.

Rivian disclosed the change in its third-quarter investor presentation. The company said it is licensing elements of its AI assistant to Volkswagen Group, but it did not share how much Volkswagen will pay, how payments will work, or which Volkswagen brands and models will get it.

Rivian’s assistant recently rolled out to Rivian vehicles, including the R1S SUV, the R1T pickup, and the R2 SUV. TechCrunch reported that the assistant lets people talk to the car to control certain functions. Rivian also said the system can figure out what action someone wants and send the request to the right part of the car’s software, like a receptionist routing a call to the right department.

One possible first Volkswagen model mentioned is the ID EVERY1, a lower-cost electric car that is expected to be the first VW vehicle to use Rivian’s software and electrical design from the 2024 partnership.

Why it matters

For everyday drivers, this is another sign that carmakers are treating software as a core part of the driving experience, not just an add-on. If Volkswagen adopts Rivian’s voice features, more people could see cars that feel easier to operate with spoken requests, plus more frequent over-the-air updates (software updates sent to your car like app updates on a phone).

Source: TechCrunch AI