Rivian Rolls Out AI Assistant That Understands Context, Brings Multimodal Function to Its EVs

The next-generation experience that Rivian promised the world is now here as the company is now rolling out the new "Rivian Assistant," which brings an AI-powered experience.

This new AI assistant is set to address all user concerns and needs, with it capable of understanding users and the context of what they say, as well as delivering multimodal capabilities.

Rivian Assistant Rolls Out to Eligible Electric Vehicles

Rivian announced that it is now rolling out its latest technology for electric vehicles, Rivian Assistant, to offer a helping hand and to support users via artificial intelligence technology.

According to the company, users get a chance to enjoy a more powerful hands-free experience with Rivian Assistant, saying that it is available on all compatible Gen 1 and Gen 2 EVs.

However, there is one massive requirement to get the experience apart from having a Gen 1 or Gen 2 R1T and R1S vehicle, as the company also requires them to be subscribed to the Connect+ platform.

According to Rivian, the company's latest focus on the Rivian Assistant centers on evolving their EVs from being software-defined to being AI-defined vehicles with the capacity to "think, predict, and grow more capable the longer you own it."

Rivian Assistant Understands Context, Multimodal AI

The company touted that Rivian Assistant is not only capable of understanding what you say, but it can also understand what you mean or the context behind what you are saying when giving it commands.

Basically, Rivian said that it understands the user on a deep level. Users may get its attention by either saying "Hey Rivian" or pressing and holding the left steering wheel button.

Rivian Assistant is also powered by a multimodal AI platform, which it calls the Rivian Unified Intelligence. According to the company, this technology is "interwoven throughout" their business, and it understands their products and operations, as well as learns personal context from users to deliver the best possible experience.

Rivian is not the only one who added a generative AI assistant to its infotainment system. Tesla has done so with xAI, while General Motors has partnered with Google's Gemini.