Rivian’s AI assistant will be coming to its electric vehicles in early 2026

Rivian’s two-year effort to build its own AI Assistant will launch in early 2026. When it does, the AI ​​Assistant will be rolled out to every electric vehicle 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 found in the car’s infotainment system. It will also connect vehicle systems to third-party applications using an agent framework designed by Rivian engineers. Rivian said on Thursday that Google Calendar will be the first third-party app to launch within the AI ​​assistant.

“The beauty here is that we can integrate third-party agents, and this completely redefines how applications in the future are integrated into our cars,” Waseem Bin Saeed, head of software development, said Thursday during the company’s AI and Autonomy event in Palo Alto, California.

The AI ​​assistant will be augmented with leading large language models — for example, Google Vertex AI and Gemini — for ground-based data, natural conversation, and inference, according to Rivian.

The AI ​​assistant program, first reported by TechCrunch this week, reflects Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe’s push to become more vertically integrated. This commitment was on full display at the Artificial Intelligence and Autonomy event in Palo Alto, California. Beyond the AI ​​assistant, the company detailed how it is developing new software and hardware, including a custom 5nm processor designed in collaboration with both Arm and TSMC, which will expand the hands-free driving assistance system and eventually allow drivers to take their eyes off the road.

This vertical integration work has been underway for years. In 2024, the electric vehicle manufacturer completely reworked the interior of its flagship R1T truck and R1S SUV, changing everything from the battery pack and suspension to the electrical architecture, sensor suite and software user interface.

The company’s software team, led by Bin Saeed, continued working on building the software package. A smaller group — the size of which Rivian did not disclose — has focused on the AI ​​assistant, designed to be modular and platform independent, according to Bensaid.

To power this AI assistant, Rivian has developed what it describes as a model- and platform-agnostic architecture that uses large, custom language models and is labeled as Rivian Unified Intelligence, or RUI. This hybrid software suite includes its own custom models and a “coordination layer,” the connector that ensures different AI models work together. Rivian said it has used other companies for specific AI functions.

“Unified disrupted intelligence is the connective tissue that runs through the heart of Rivian’s digital ecosystem,” Bin Saeed said at the event. “This platform enables targeted dealer solutions that drive value across our entire operations and the entire vehicle lifecycle.”

For example, 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 identify complex issues.”

The article has been updated to clarify that the AI ​​Assistant will be enhanced with a large, borderline language modeSyrian pounds.