Originally published in Wards Auto
Margins are shrinking. Car-owners are holding onto vehicles longer. And the traditional signals of automotive value — horsepower, trim packages — aren’t moving the needle like before. As automakers navigate the shift to software-defined vehicles (SDVs), one thing is clear: cockpit experience is no longer nice to have. It’s the differentiator.
Along with my EMEA and APAC Business Development colleagues, we work closely with OEMs across markets, and I’ve seen how quickly consumer expectations have evolved. Today’s drivers want an experience that mirrors their digital lives: seamless, personalized, and intuitive. And while touchscreens, big tech integrations, and connected services offer promise, they’ve also introduced friction. Deep menus. Distracted interaction. Confusion.
That’s why the most forward-thinking OEMs are betting on voice generative AI. It’s not just a convenience. It’s a strategic tool for solving the SDV pain points that matter most — driver satisfaction, dealer integration, brand loyalty, and new revenue.
Voice Generative AI: a simpler interface for a more complex car
The modern cockpit has become cluttered with functionality and complexity. Every new feature layered on risks making the driving experience more frustrating, not more premium. OEMs are hearing this loud and clear from their customers.
Voice generative AI changes that. Our in-vehicle voice generative AI agents allow drivers to speak naturally and get instant, relevant results. “Find me a route that avoids tolls and stops for coffee.” “It’s too cold, turn on the heat.” These aren’t demos: they’re live experiences happening in production today.
Solving what OEMs care about: satisfaction, retention, loyalty
Drivers still care most about their vehicle’s safety (85% according to a Soundhound study), performance (85%), and reliability (81%). That’s good news — because multi-agent agentic voice generative AI experiences can make all of those experiences better.
Imagine the check engine light comes on. Instead of pulling over and searching what it might mean, the driver simply asks, “What’s that yellow light in my dashboard?” The system taps into retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) agents trained on model-specific owner manuals, non-deterministic LLM models, and service booking agents to reply, “It’s a minor issue. I’ve scheduled a service appointment for tomorrow at your usual dealership.”
That’s a meaningful shift, not just for the driver, but for the OEM. It drives service retention. It links the driver back to the brand ecosystem. It solves a real-world pain point, seamlessly. This ability to tap into the world around the driver is now a reality with Voice Commerce.
A new model for monetization
Our new voice commerce platform enables drivers to order food, book parking, or pay for services — all with their voice. It’s frictionless, brand-aligned commerce that happens in motion.
And it converts. In our most recent research, 77% of drivers said they’d make on-the-go food purchases through in-car voice commerce platforms over traditional drive thrus. 11% said they’d act on a targeted offer. That’s not hypothetical —that’s a 40+ Billion dollar revenue opportunity waiting to be captured. (read the whitepaper, From Cockpit to Checkout: How OEMs Can Unlock $35 Billion + Revenue With Voice Commerce).
Deep integration — built for OEMs, not big tech
At SoundHound AI, we’ve spent over two decades building a deeply integrated voice generative AI platform. We don’t just sit on top of the system. We integrate answer, action, and commerce agents with the vehicle itself, from climate and navigation to service scheduling and third-party services.
And critically, we do it while preserving brand identity and data ownership. This isn’t a plug-in that diverts brand relationships like what big tech offers. It’s a fully personalized, unique experience that serves as an extension of the OEM’s ecosystem — branded voice & personality, OEM-controlled experience, zero data leakage.
The time to act Is now
In face of softening markets, voice generative AI is already transforming the cockpit from a distraction point to a loyalty engine. The OEMs who act now will gain a strategic edge over their competitors and big tech will struggle to match.
To learn more about how you can reclaim the cockpit to open new revenue opportunities, visit soundhound.com/voice-ai-solutions/automotive
