TechCrunch reports that Rivian and Volkswagen Group are expanding their joint venture to include Rivian’s AI voice-assistant technology.

The partnership, valued at up to $5.8 billion, originally focused on bringing Rivian’s electrical architecture and software to Volkswagen vehicles.

Under the expanded arrangement, Rivian is licensing elements of its AI assistant to Volkswagen.

The companies have not disclosed the licensing fees, payment terms or the specific Volkswagen models that will receive the technology.

One possible candidate is Volkswagen’s planned low-cost electric vehicle, the ID EVERY1.

The model is expected to be the first Volkswagen vehicle to use the software and electrical architecture developed through the joint venture.

Rivian’s assistant allows drivers and passengers to use voice commands to interact with vehicle functions.

The company says it has developed an in-house framework that interprets what a person wants to do and routes the request to the appropriate vehicle software.

The expansion demonstrates how automakers are increasingly collaborating on software and AI rather than developing every system independently.

For Rivian, the agreement could broaden the reach of its technology, while Volkswagen may gain access to software intended to support its next generation of vehicles.

Source: TechCrunch