What happened
Rivian introduced a proprietary AI assistant, developed over two years for a late 2025 release, distinct from its Volkswagen joint venture. This assistant integrates with vehicle controls using a hybrid edge and cloud AI architecture, custom models, and an agentic framework to coordinate workflows and resolve system conflicts. Rivian is reportedly transitioning from Amazon Alexa to Google Gemini for its voice assistant, potentially adding text messaging and expanded in-vehicle commands.
Why it matters
The introduction of a proprietary AI assistant and transition to Google Gemini creates a vendor management and integration oversight burden for procurement and IT security teams. This shift from established third-party solutions to a custom, agentic framework with hybrid edge/cloud models increases exposure to less transparent control mechanisms over vehicle functions. It raises due diligence requirements for compliance and platform operators regarding data handling, system conflict resolution, and the security posture of the integrated AI, potentially creating a visibility gap in operational accountability.
