Rivian looks to integrate AI as it branches into more affordable models in the next few years.
American electric vehicle (EV) producer Rivian has elected Cohere CEO Aidan Gomez to its board of directors, according to a US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing.
The role is “effective immediately,” according to Rivian. The executive’s term expires at Rivian’s 2026 annual shareholder meeting.
Rivian has been developing an AI assistant for EVs since 2023.
Cohere directed BetaKit to Rivian when asked for comment. Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe said in a statement that Gomez would help the Irvine, Calif.-based automaker “integrate new, cutting-edge technologies into our products, services, and manufacturing.”
While the companies haven’t shared exact details of how Gomez will contribute, Rivian software chief Wassym Bensaid told TechCrunch the company has been developing an AI assistant for its EVs in-house since 2023. Existing vehicles have support for Amazon Alexa voice commands that let drivers control some car functions, such as the climate system, hands-free.
Rivian also announced a joint venture with Volkswagen (VW) in June 2024. The partnership will see Rivian develop software for VW cars, starting with the production version of the entry-level ID. EVERY1 EV due in 2027.
Rivian currently sells just two luxury EVs, the R1S SUV and the R1T pickup truck. Both retail for well over $100,000 USD. The company hopes to widen its audience soon with the more affordable R2, a 2026 model year car starting at $45,000 USD. Compact R3 and R3X models are expected in late 2026 or early 2027.
Gomez co-founded Cohere in 2019 alongside Nick Frosst and Ivan Zhang. The Toronto-based firm has so far concentrated on training and delivering generative AI models for enterprise clients in categories such as energy, finance, healthcare, manufacturing, and the public sector. It has yet to enter the automotive space.
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Gomez was previously a researcher at Google Brain under the division’s leader at the time, AI “godfather” (and recent Nobel Prize laureate) Geoffrey Hinton. He co-wrote a 2017 paper credited for helping to launch generative AI.
Regardless of Gomez’s contribution, Rivian faces significant competition from other brands’ in-car AI services. In January, Google introduced an Automotive AI Agent platform that will provide conversational, information-backed help in cars from makes like Mercedes-Benz. Hyundai also announced in early 2024 that it was developing its own large-language model that would help power a new car operating system. VW said it would offer OpenAI’s ChatGPT in its cars, but not for driving-related commands.
Feature image courtesy of Rivian.