Rivian Automotive Inc. (NASDAQ:RIVN) Chief Software Officer Wassym Bensaid said Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) CarPlay, Android Auto and physical buttons will become "completely obsolete" as deeply integrated automotive artificial intelligence changes how drivers interact with vehicles.
Rivian Rejects Screen Mirroring Approach
"The challenge with screen mirroring solutions is that they take over every single pixel in the car," Bensaid said, speaking on The Verge’s latest episode of the ‘Decoder’ podcast. He said Rivian instead wants to build its own interface around "end-to-end integration."
Bensaid said "deep AI integration into the car" will eventually make the debate over CarPlay "completely obsolete." He argued that Rivian owners will eventually access the core functions of many apps through an AI agent rather than switching between CarPlay, Android Auto or native apps.
AI Agent Could Reshape Driver Apps
"I really believe that the way you interact with apps which are mono-threaded, single buttons, single icons, a lot of that will be now completely reshaped into a world where it will become an agentic integration that presents itself into a wholesome user experience to the user," he said.
Bensaid acknowledged that an AI agent capable of replacing CarPlay apps will take time to develop.
He said Rivian owners are also less interested in CarPlay than they once were. According to Bensaid, more than 70% of customers wanted CarPlay when Rivian vehicles first launched about five years ago, but a recent survey showed that figure had fallen below 25%.
Rivian is not alone in betting on voice-first systems. Volvo's all-electric EX60 is set to launch with Alphabet, Inc.’s (NASDAQ:GOOGL) (NASDAQ:GOOG) Google Gemini, enabling drivers to have more natural conversations with the vehicle.
R2 Launch Gives Rivian Fresh Momentum
Bensaid's comments came as Rivian shares rose 2.01% on Tuesday after the company said it would start delivering the R2 midsize SUV to customers on June 9. The company’s stock has been up 19.65% over the past five days.
The R2, priced from about $45,000, is Rivian's first mass-market model and will compete with Tesla Inc.'s (NASDAQ:TSLA) Model Y. Rivian said it received more than 100,000 reservations after unveiling the vehicle last year.
According to Benzinga Edge Rankings, Rivian stock offers Satisfactory Momentum and provides a favorable price trend in the Short, Medium and Long term.
Photo Courtesy: Jonathan Weiss on Shutterstock.com
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