Ford has unveiled plans for a new AI assistant designed to enhance the driving experience, following in the footsteps of Rivian. The company announced that the first phase of its AI assistant will debut through the Ford and Lincoln mobile apps in the first half of the year. According to Ford’s press release, the assistant is described as “deep, personalized intelligence that knows your specific vehicle, understands your unique needs, and anticipates your desires on every journey.” Sammy Omari, head of Ford’s Advanced Driver Assist Systems (ADAS), told Business Insider that launching the AI through the mobile app is the most efficient way to reach customers quickly, given that many already use the app daily. The in-vehicle version is expected to roll out in 2027 and gradually expand across Ford’s entire vehicle lineup. Ford will not be building its own large language model (LLM) for the assistant. “We’re not going to be directly competing with a Google or an OpenAI or a Meta,” Omari said. Instead, the company will leverage existing LLMs and customize them by integrating vehicle-specific data—such as driving habits, climate preferences, and vehicle diagnostics—to create a tailored experience. This move comes amid a wave of AI-driven innovations showcased at CES 2026 in Las Vegas. Rivian, a California-based electric vehicle manufacturer, previously announced a similar AI-powered voice interface set to launch in early 2026 for its Gen 1 and Gen 2 R1 vehicles. A demonstration seen by Business Insider showed the system responding naturally to conversational commands like, “Can you make it a little bit colder for everyone in the cabin?” Other major developments at CES included live demonstrations from Zoox, the Amazon-backed robotaxi company, and the unveiling of Uber’s first robotaxi design, developed in collaboration with Lucid and autonomous driving startup Nuro. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang also introduced Alpamayo, a new open-source AI model specifically designed for autonomous vehicles.