Volkswagen Partnership Won’t Include Rivian’s AI Assistant — At Least Not Yet

[bonk]

Despite speculation, Rivian’s AI assistant will not be part of the company’s $5.8 billion technology joint venture with Volkswagen. The JV, launched officially in late 2024, is focused on electrical architecture, zonal compute, and infotainment — not autonomy or AI assistants.
Still, Rivian hasn’t ruled out future integration. For now, Volkswagen’s next-gen vehicles — expected as early as 2027 — will use Rivian-developed electrical and software foundations, while the AI assistant remains an internal Rivian project. As Bensaid noted, autonomy and AI are separate “for now,” suggesting the door remains open for deeper expansion ahead.

[Abdul Khan]

Interesting move—VW may be waiting to judge Rivian’s system maturity.

[Rimon Khan]

Partnership will likely expand if the assistant proves reliable.