Rivian’s AI assistant is coming to its EVs in early 2026
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Rivian’s two-year effort to build its own AI assistant will launch in early 2026. And when it does, the AI assistant will roll out to every existing EV in its lineup, not just the next-generation versions of its R1T truck and R1S SUV. Drivers and passengers will be able to use the AI assistant to operate climate controls and handle other tasks contained within the vehicle’s infotainment system. It will also connect vehicle systems with third-party apps using an agentic framework built by Rivian engineers. Google Calendar will be the first third-party app to launch within the AI assistant, Rivian said Thursday. “The beauty here is we can integrate third party agents, and this is completely redefining how apps in the future will integrate in our cars,” software development chief Wassym Bensaid said Thursday during the company’s AI & Autonomy event in Palo Alto, California. The AI Assistant will be augmented by Google Vertex AI and Gemini for grounded data, natural conversation, and reasoning, according to Rivian. Image Credits:Rivian The AI Assistant program, which TechCrunch first reported this week, reflects Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe’s push to become more vertically integrated. And that commitment was on full display at its AI & Autonomy event in Palo Alto, California. Beyond the AI assistant, the company detailed how it has developed a software and new hardware, including a custom 5nm processor built in collaboration with both Arm and TSMC, that will expand its hands-free driving assistance system and eventually let drivers to take their eyes off the road. This vertical integration work has been underway for years. In 2024, the EV maker completely reworked the guts its flagship R1T truck and R1S SUV, changing everything from the battery pack and suspension system to the electrical architecture, sensor stack, and software user interface. The company’s software team led by Bensaid has continued to work on building out the software stack. A smaller group — the size which Rivian won’t disclose — focused on the AI assistant, which is designed to be model and platform agnostic, according to Bensaid. Techcrunch event Join the Disrupt 2026 Waitlist Add yourself to the Disrupt 2026 waitlist to be first in line when Early Bird tickets drop. Past Disrupts have brought Google Cloud, Netflix, Microsoft, Box, Phia, a16z, ElevenLabs, Wayve, Hugging Face, Elad Gil, and Vinod Khosla to the stages — part of 250+ industry leaders driving 200+ sessions built to fuel your growth and sharpen your edge. Plus, meet the hundreds of startups innovating across every sector. Join the Disrupt 2026 Waitlist Add yourself to the Disrupt 2026 waitlist to be first in line when Early Bird tickets drop. Past Disrupts have brought Google Cloud, Netflix, Microsoft, Box, Phia, a16z, ElevenLabs, Wayve, Hugging Face, Elad Gil, and Vinod Khosla to the stages — part of 250+ industry leaders driving 200+ sessions built to fuel your growth and sharpen your edge. Plus, meet the hundreds of startups innovating across every sector. San Francisco | October 13-15, 2026 WAITLIST NOW To power this AI assistant, Rivian developed what it has described as a model and platform agnostic architecture that uses custom large language models and is branded as Rivian Unified Intelligence, or RUI. This hybrid software stack, includes its own custom models and the “orchestration layer,” the conductor that makes sure the various AI models work together. Rivian said it has used other companies for specific agentic AI functions. “The Riven Unified Intelligence is the connective tissue that runs through the very heart of Rivian’s digital ecosystem,” Bensaid said at the event. “This platform enables targeted agent solutions that drive value across our entire operation and our entire vehicle life cycle.” For instance, RUI will be used for more than just providing an AI assistant, according to the company. It will also be used to improve vehicle diagnostics, which Rivian describes as “an expert assistant for technicians, scanning telemetry and history to pinpointing complex issues.” Topics AI, AI assistant, EVs, Rivian, RJ Scaringe, TC, Transportation Kirsten Korosec Transportation Editor Kirsten Korosec is a reporter and editor who has covered the future of transportation from EVs and autonomous vehicles to urban air mobility and in-car tech for more than a decade. She is currently the transportation editor at TechCrunch and co-host of TechCrunch’s Equity podcast. She is also co-founder and co-host of the podcast, “The Autonocast.” She previously wrote for Fortune, The Verge, Bloomberg, MIT Technology Review and CBS Interactive. You can contact or verify outreach from Kirsten by emailing kirsten.korosec@techcrunch.com or via encrypted message at kkorosec.07 on Signal.
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