- Rivian’s chief software program officer confirmed the corporate’s EVs will get textual content messaging capabilities in 2025
- The textual content messaging answer will make the most of native text-to-speech by way of a brand new voice tech stack
- Google Forged and native YouTube software will come within the subsequent software program replace
Two years in the past, Rivian Chief Software program Officer Wassym Bensaid instructed house owners and followers that the automaker was engaged on text-to-speech textual content messaging skills.
Two years later and that performance hasn’t appeared in any Rivian electrical autos.
In a hearth chat with media and house owners in November on the Rivian Area in Los Angeles, Bensaid stated native textual content messaging skills will come to Rivians in 2025.
Bensaid admitted Rivian has “made a number of makes an attempt for textual content to speech,” however the issue, in keeping with Rivian’s CSO, is the present options accessible within the business “will not be nice.”
An answer was in place and able to ship, however throughout closing testing Bensaid refused to log out and stated “no, we can not ship,” as a result of it was “fragmented.” The exec stated the difficulty was particularly prevalent for Android customers, and the workforce needs to make sure each iOS and Android—regardless of most Rivian house owners apparently having Apple units, in keeping with Bensaid—have a seamless expertise.
One other problem with earlier makes an attempt included lacking texts. “Supporting group chat is mostly a nightmare,” Bensaid stated. He famous emojis or reactions are additionally “actually a nightmare.”
The issue with at present’s options is “it isn’t a wealthy expertise,” Bensaid stated.
Bensaid stated the workforce’s engaged on a new voice tech stack that may redefine the expertise. Textual content-to-speech capabilities will come on high of this new software program stack, and he is been testing early prototypes for weeks. “It is approach, approach totally different. I imply, truthfully, it is the kind of expertise that I wish to actually have,” Bensaid stated.
The brand new voice tech stack will coexist with at present’s Alexa implementation, in keeping with Bensaid. The exec famous he sees the longer term as every thing being accessible by means of the touchscreen and voice, not only one or the opposite. Bensaid famous that AI affords an amazing alternative on this regard.
However it will not solely be text-to-speech. There shall be a bodily interface on the display to work together with textual content messages. Bernsaid would not elaborate on what which may seem like or the way it’ll function apart from noting “it is actually a pleasant interface”
“So my message is, please be affected person with us,” Bensaid requested of householders. He went on to say Rivian’s implementation shall be higher than anything within the business at present.
2025 Rivian R1S
However that is all to come back. The following software program replace, in keeping with Bensaid, will allow Google Forged together with native YouTube implementation. Google Forged will include the assist of greater than 3,000 functions, besides Netflix, which Rivian remains to be working with Google on, in keeping with the software program exec. Dolby Encompass Sound is within the playing cards, however no timeline was given. Rivians already characteristic Dolby Atmos when utilizing the brand new Apple Music app.
In the interim, Google Forged will solely be on the entrance display, however Bensaid stated the workforce’s methods to allow it for rear screens. At this time, the one rear display Rivian affords is a small display mounted on the again of the middle console, like in Teslas. Bensaid stated enabling Google Forged for the rear seats would make it so the characteristic might be utilized by passengers whereas driving.
