- Rivian’s chief software program officer confirmed the corporate’s EVs will get textual content messaging capabilities in 2025
- The textual content messaging resolution will make the most of native text-to-speech through a brand new voice tech stack
- Google Solid and native YouTube utility will come within the subsequent software program replace
Two years in the past, Rivian Chief Software program Officer Wassym Bensaid informed 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 fireplace chat with media and house owners in November on the Rivian House in Los Angeles, Bensaid mentioned 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 response to Rivian’s CSO, is the present options obtainable within the trade “will not be nice.”
An answer was in place and able to ship, however throughout remaining testing Bensaid refused to log off and mentioned “no, we can’t ship,” as a result of it was “fragmented.” The exec mentioned the problem was particularly prevalent for Android customers, and the crew desires to make sure each iOS and Android—regardless of most Rivian house owners apparently having Apple units, in response to Bensaid—have a seamless expertise.
One other concern with earlier makes an attempt included lacking texts. “Supporting group chat can be a nightmare,” Bensaid mentioned. He famous emojis or reactions are additionally “actually a nightmare.”
The issue with as we speak’s options is “it is not a wealthy expertise,” Bensaid mentioned.
Bensaid mentioned the crew’s engaged on a new voice tech stack that can 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, actually, it is the kind of expertise that I wish to actually have,” Bensaid mentioned.
The brand new voice tech stack will coexist with as we speak’s Alexa implementation, in response to Bensaid. The exec famous he sees the longer term as every part being accessible via the touchscreen and voice, not only one or the opposite. Bensaid famous that AI affords an incredible alternative on this regard.
Nevertheless it will not solely be text-to-speech. There might be a bodily interface on the display to work together with textual content messages. Bernsaid would not elaborate on what that may seem like or the way it’ll function other than noting “it is actually a pleasant interface”
“So my message is, please be affected person with us,” Bensaid requested of homeowners. He went on to say Rivian’s implementation might be higher than the rest within the trade as we speak.
2025 Rivian R1S
However that is all to return. The following software program replace, in response to Bensaid, will allow Google Solid together with native YouTube implementation. Google Solid will include the assist of greater than 3,000 functions, besides Netflix, which Rivian continues to be working with Google on, in response to the software program exec. Dolby Encompass Sound is within the playing cards, however no timeline was given. Rivians already function Dolby Atmos when utilizing the brand new Apple Music app.
In the intervening time, Google Solid will solely be on the entrance display, however Bensaid mentioned the crew’s learn how to allow it for rear screens. Right this moment, the one rear display Rivian affords is a small display mounted on the again of the middle console, like in Teslas. Bensaid mentioned enabling Google Solid for the rear seats would make it so the function may very well be utilized by passengers whereas driving.
