Ford is adopting a “middle path” strategy in artificial intelligence; rather than building an army of robots like Tesla, it is focusing on developing a smart assistant and practical autonomous driving features. The company relies on developing its technologies in-house to reduce costs and deliver more profitable electric vehicles.
Article contents:
- Introduction
- In-house development strategy
- Smart voice assistant
- The future of autonomous driving
- Affordable technology
- New computing module
- FAQs
Introduction
Ford’s new AI-powered voice assistant will be rolled out to customers later this year, according to the company’s chief software officer at CES. In 2028, the automaker will introduce Level 3 autonomous driving, which allows drivers to take their hands off the wheel and eyes off the road, as part of its affordable “Global Electric Vehicle” platform scheduled for launch in 2027.
In-house development strategy
Crucially, Ford said it will develop much of the core technology around these products internally to reduce costs and retain greater control. The company is not creating its own large language models or designing proprietary silicon like Tesla and Rivian. Instead, it will build its own electronic and computer units that are smaller and more efficient than existing systems.
Smart voice assistant
Ford’s AI assistant will launch on Ford and Lincoln mobile apps in 2026, before expanding to the in-car experience in 2027. The assistant is designed to be chatbot-agnostic, meaning it will work with a variety of different large language models. The key feature is the model’s integration with vehicle systems; if an owner asks about cargo capacity, the assistant will answer accurately based on the specific vehicle model and trunk size.
The future of autonomous driving
Ford’s current flagship product is BlueCruise, a hands-free Level 2 driver-assistance feature. Ford plans to roll out a point-to-point hands-free system capable of recognizing traffic lights and navigating intersections. Following that, it will launch a Level 3 system where the driver still needs to be able to take over when prompted but can also take their eyes off the road in certain situations.
Affordable technology
Doug Field, Ford’s chief EV and digital systems officer, wrote: “By designing our own software and hardware in-house, we’ve found a way to make this technology far more affordable. This means we can put advanced hands-free driving into vehicles people actually buy, not just heavily-priced vehicles.”
New computing module
Rather than chasing raw processing speed alone, Ford sought a balance between performance, cost, and size. The result is a computing unit that is significantly more powerful, less expensive, and 44% smaller than the system it replaces. The team achieved a system that is roughly 30% less expensive than today’s system while offering vastly greater capabilities.
FAQs
What is Level 3 autonomous driving?
Answer: It is a level that allows the driver to take their hands off the steering wheel and eyes off the road under specific conditions (such as heavy highway traffic), but they must be ready to take over driving immediately if requested by the vehicle.
When will Ford’s smart assistant be available?
Answer: Its rollout will begin via mobile apps in 2026, followed by integration into vehicles by 2027.
Why is Ford developing its technologies in-house?
Answer: To reduce costs, decrease hardware size, and ensure better integration between software and the vehicle, allowing these technologies to be offered in economical cars.
