Rivian’s AI assistant is coming to its EVs in early 2026 

Rivian is set to launch its proprietary AI assistant in early 2026, which will be integrated across all existing electric vehicles (EVs) in its lineup, including current models of the R1T truck and R1S SUV. The assistant will enable drivers and passengers to control climate settings and other infotainment functions, while also connecting vehicle systems with third-party applications through an agentic framework developed by Rivian engineers. Google Calendar will be the first third-party app integrated into the AI assistant. The system leverages Google’s Vertex AI and Gemini technologies to provide grounded data, natural conversation, and reasoning capabilities. This AI assistant is part of Rivian’s broader strategy to vertically integrate its software and hardware development, demonstrated by its recent overhaul of vehicle architecture and the creation of a custom 5nm processor in collaboration with Arm and TSMC. The assistant operates on Rivian Unified Intelligence (RUI), a model- and platform-agnostic architecture that orchestrates multiple AI models, including