Rivian is taking a fundamentally different approach to artificial intelligence than competitors like Tesla and Waymo, prioritizing incremental safety improvements and driver assistance over fully autonomous vehicles and robotaxis. In an exclusive interview with Business Insider, Rivian’s Chief Software Officer Wassym Bensaid made clear that the electric vehicle manufacturer is charting its own course in the AI race.
“We are not necessarily chasing full-self driving, we’re not chasing robotaxis,” Bensaid explained. “Our goal is incremental improvements to the safety and convenience for customers.” This philosophy represents a stark contrast to Tesla’s aggressive push toward Full Self-Driving capabilities and Waymo’s robotaxi ambitions.
AI-powered voice interaction is central to Rivian’s vision for the future of driving. Speaking at the TechCrunch Disrupt conference in San Francisco on October 30, Bensaid described the car as “a fantastic environment for AI” and outlined a future where vehicles are primarily controlled through voice commands. “The fact that we’re touching the screen or the fact that we’re using buttons today in some cars — I think it’s an anomaly. It’s a bug, it’s not a feature,” he stated, emphasizing that current voice assistants are “broken” and that AI can unlock dramatically different in-car experiences.
The 15-year-old Irvine, California-based company has faced significant challenges in the competitive EV market. Despite launching its first truck, the R1T, in 2021, Rivian has struggled to capture substantial market share. The company endured two rounds of layoffs in 2024 and reduced its production target from 57,000 units to between 47,000 and 49,000 units due to supply chain issues.
However, a $5 billion investment from Volkswagen announced in June could provide crucial support for Rivian’s more affordable R2 model, priced at $45,000 and scheduled for 2026 launch. Currently, Rivian’s lowest-priced vehicle, the R1T truck, retails for approximately $70,000.
Bensaid emphasized that Rivian sees itself fundamentally as a technology company: “We see Rivian as a tech company. We’re doing a tech product which happens to be a car.” The company’s long-term vision includes developing an operating system for other automakers, potentially competing with Apple’s CarPlay. Goldman Sachs analysts identified Rivian’s software as “a key part of the value proposition and monetization opportunity” for the company, suggesting that AI-driven software could become a significant revenue stream beyond vehicle sales.
Key Quotes
We are not necessarily chasing full-self driving, we’re not chasing robotaxis. Our goal is incremental improvements to the safety and convenience for customers.
Rivian CSO Wassym Bensaid explained the company’s AI philosophy to Business Insider, distinguishing Rivian’s approach from competitors like Tesla and Waymo who are racing toward fully autonomous vehicles.
The fact that we’re touching the screen or the fact that we’re using buttons today in some cars — I think it’s an anomaly. It’s a bug, it’s not a feature.
Speaking at TechCrunch Disrupt on October 30, Bensaid outlined his vision for AI-powered voice interaction as the primary interface for vehicles, arguing that current input methods are fundamentally flawed.
The car is a fantastic environment for AI… Ideally, you would want to interact with your car through voice. And the problem today is that most voice assistants are just broken.
Bensaid identified voice AI as a critical opportunity for improving the driving experience, acknowledging current limitations while highlighting the potential for AI to enable transformative in-car experiences.
We see Rivian as a tech company. We’re doing a tech product which happens to be a car.
The CSO emphasized Rivian’s identity as a technology company rather than a traditional automaker, reflecting the company’s software-first approach and ambitions to license its AI-powered operating system to other manufacturers.
Our Take
Rivian’s pragmatic AI strategy may ultimately prove wiser than the autonomous vehicle moonshots pursued by better-funded competitors. The company is recognizing a fundamental truth: the path to automotive AI adoption likely runs through incremental improvements rather than revolutionary leaps to full autonomy. By focusing on voice interaction and driver assistance, Rivian can deliver immediate value while building the data infrastructure and customer trust necessary for more advanced capabilities later. The timing is particularly strategic—as large language models dramatically improve conversational AI, the opportunity to create truly useful voice interfaces has never been better. However, Rivian faces a significant challenge: can a struggling EV manufacturer with production issues and a premium price point successfully position itself as an AI software company? The Volkswagen partnership and plans to license its operating system suggest Rivian understands that software monetization, not just vehicle sales, will be critical to long-term viability in an AI-driven automotive future.
Why This Matters
Rivian’s AI strategy represents an important alternative approach in an industry increasingly dominated by the race toward full autonomy. While Tesla and Waymo invest billions in autonomous driving technology, Rivian’s focus on incremental AI-powered improvements may prove more practical and commercially viable in the near term.
This approach addresses a critical reality: fully autonomous vehicles face significant regulatory, technical, and safety hurdles that could delay widespread adoption for years. By prioritizing AI applications that enhance the current driving experience—particularly voice interaction and driver assistance—Rivian may deliver tangible value to customers sooner while avoiding the massive R&D costs associated with full self-driving development.
The emphasis on AI-powered voice interfaces also highlights an underexplored opportunity in automotive AI. As voice AI technology rapidly improves through large language models, the car represents an ideal environment for hands-free, conversational interfaces that could fundamentally transform how drivers interact with their vehicles.
For the broader automotive industry, Rivian’s positioning as a software and AI company that “happens to make cars” signals the ongoing transformation of traditional manufacturing into technology-driven businesses. The company’s ambition to license its operating system to other automakers could establish new competitive dynamics in the automotive AI ecosystem.
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