The next big challenge for automakers is softwareization. This means solving problems using software solutions instead of hardware. And it will come soon. This requires a fundamental shift in the way manufacturers think about themselves. It can be hard to imagine these hardware-centric companies becoming computer or AI companies. But as the auto industry moves closer to producing smart devices on wheels, it will have to.
Automakers around the world have already invested billions of dollars in AI; growth is expected. Today, AI is routinely used for product design and planning, warranty management, building long-term customer relationships, and more. The next frontier is generative AI to create code, digital content, simulations, and more. As the automotive industry moves toward smart devices on wheels, manufacturers must adopt tools to rapidly develop, deploy, and maintain software. That’s exactly the power of generative AI.
Why manufacturers should embrace generative AI
Traditional manufacturers face two competitive pressures: Tesla and China. Tesla is a software company that manufactures cars. Develop new innovations faster with AI at fleet scale.they recently announced State-of-the-art generative modeling techniques make it possible to predict likely outcomes based on past observations. This is the big promise of Generative AI. It reduces the code department’s constraints on innovation and makes it much easier to turn ideas into software features.
Regarding China, we are keenly aware of the potential of Generative AI to drive powerful efficiencies in softwareization. They have the technology foundation and engineering talent to turn that potential into reality. Vehicle affordability has always been important, and softwareization is key to providing value at the time of purchase and increasing residual value as the vehicle ages.
What can automakers do to catch up?
Automakers will need to build and deliver vehicles with greater computing power. This allows you to run a software sandbox on all vehicles that use it and analyze software performance against baseline usage. This allows new features to be tested on a limited number of real-world vehicles.
Manufacturers can increase their ability to experiment with new ideas while gathering valuable data about how new software features work in real vehicles driven by real drivers. This means launching new features faster with less risk of failure.
More robust computing environments and generative AI could enable vehicles that analyze driving behavior and personalize and optimize the driving experience for different drivers.
Generative AI is here.don’t be left behind
As the automotive industry races into the future, software and connectivity are redefining the next generation driving experience. This transition poses challenges for traditional manufacturers whose hardware-centric culture is not aligned with the needs of a software-centric world. Today, most automakers’ software engineering departments are chronically overstaffed and under-resourced. This is a challenge, but also an opportunity for forward-thinking automakers.
The era of generative AI in automotive has arrived.
About the author
Thomas Müller, CTO; wipro engineering edge
Thomas is the Chief Technology Officer wipro engineering edge He has over 30 years of experience in automotive, cloud, and finance. He is currently responsible for Wipro’s Automotive Engineering and Innovation services, which cover everything from his defining vehicles and autonomous driving to 5G and cloud-native engineering.