Honda hasn’t been shy about wanting an AI assistant in its cars, and it’s bringing in a partner to ensure that this assistant is one you’ll want to use. The automaker has tapped SoundHound to speed up the development of its AI companion. Thanks to the Houndify platform, your ride should understand natural, conversational voice commands, including ones that depend on contextual details like your location or past requests.
If this sounds familiar, it should — Hyundai and Kia are also using SoundHound’s tech to power their respective assistants. You shouldn’t get a cookie-cutter experience when Honda is free to customize the experience and add its own flourishes, but it could lead to your future ride sharing some major technology in common with a rival brand. Not that there will be too much reason to complain. Custom in-car assistants have tended to be less than elegant until recently — and while some companies can justify developing their own AI helpers largely in-house, frameworks like Houndify could make sure that other brands aren’t left behind.
