How AI becomes one of your car’s smartest features

Remember K.I.T.T. from the cult TV series Knight Rider? The vision from the 1980s is now (almost) reality. AI is already present in various parts of our cars – without science fiction, but with CARIAD’s technology. And its capabilities will only grow from here. From automated driving to next-generation in-car experience.

AI in the cockpit

Powered by CARIAD’s software, the Audi assistant that premiered in the Q6 e-tron is a conversational partner capable of handling more than 800 voice commands, whether it’s opening the driver’s window, giving the weather forecast or simply making conversation.

But the assistant doesn’t just react, it learns. Using machine learning, it observes user habits and then suggests routines. For instance, if you switch on the seat heating every morning, the assistant will eventually ask: “Would you like me to switch on the seat heating automatically in the future?” This kind of learning-based routine suggestion is already enabled for preferred climate settings or frequent phone calls – with user consent of course. It’s a meaningful shift from purely reactive voice control to a proactive co-pilot that anticipates your needs.

AI under the hood

An automated driving function that would make K.I.T.T. envious? That’s what the new AI-based ADAS system will deliver when debuting in Volkswagen’s ID. AURA sedan in China and rolling out to future Volkswagen Group models, soon. CARIAD’s engineers are teaching cars to understand traffic the way humans do. At CARIZON – CARIAD’s joint venture with Horizon Robotics – more than 500 developers have created a Level 2++ automated driving system tailored for China’s dense traffic – on highways and in urban environments. Its secret is GAIA, an AI powered data platform that collects two terabytes of data per vehicle per day and digests over 100,000 test kilometres daily. At the same time, CARIAD’s Situation Interpretation team turns these data streams into an understanding of what’s happening on the road – predicting how cyclists or delivery vans will behave seconds ahead, for example.

What’s next

CARIAD’s engineers are already working on large language models that shall run right on the car’s high-performance computer. Such a local version running directly in the vehicle would provide a more seamless experience – with even quicker responses than cloud-based interactions. Next on the roadmap: a multimodal cockpit where voice, gaze, and simple gestures blend into one fluid conversation.

And that brings us full circle: in the 1980s the television series Knight Rider imagined a car that listened, learned and looked out for its driver. Four decades later, CARIAD is turning that fantasy into everyday reality, minus the talking dashboard lights and the perm. So, one of the most exciting upgrades in tomorrow’s vehicles could likely be the quiet intelligence under the hood that will make every journey smarter, safer and more enjoyable.