Rivian has been hinting that traditional smartphone mirroring systems like Apple CarPlay may not be central to the future of its vehicles. The reasoning usually comes down to control of the in-car experience.
The core idea behind “CarPlay is obsolete because of AI” goes like this:
Modern cars are becoming software platforms, not just displays for your phone. If the vehicle already has a deeply integrated operating system—navigation, media, climate control, charging, vehicle status—then CarPlay becomes less essential. Instead of mirroring your phone’s apps, the car uses its own apps plus a built-in AI assistant.
The comments come as Rivian continues to expand its own ecosystem of AI-powered vehicle software rather than adopting Apple’s popular in-car platform. For years, the company has faced criticism from buyers who wanted CarPlay support, but Rivian now believes that AI assistants will eventually replace many of the functions that drivers currently rely on through their phones.
Rivian wants cars to become “AI-defined” rather than app-driven.
Speaking during an interview on The Verge’s Decoder podcast, Rivian’s Chief Software Officer Wassym Bensaid said that advances in artificial intelligence are changing the way users interact with vehicles. He argued that deep integration of AI within cars could make traditional app-based systems like Apple CarPlay feel outdated.
According to Bensaid, Rivian sees cars evolving from being “software-defined” to being “AI-defined.” Instead of opening up individual apps for navigation, music, messaging, or scheduling, Rivian believes that future AI assistants will handle these tasks through natural conversation and contextual understanding.
This vision is already starting to take shape with the company’s recently launched Rivian Assistant. The AI-powered voice system can manage vehicle controls, answer questions, access calendar information, send messages, and interact with connected services using natural language commands. Rivian says the assistant is deeply integrated into the vehicle rather than functioning as a separate app layer.
The company argues that systems like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto create a fragmented experience because they effectively put a smartphone interface inside the car. Instead, Rivian wants complete control over the vehicle’s software experience, allowing AI to interact directly with the car’s systems, sensors, navigation, climate controls, and future connected services.
The stance remains controversial. Apple CarPlay continues to be one of the most requested features among many electric vehicle buyers, and Rivian previously acknowledged that a large portion of its customer base initially wanted support for it. However, the company claims that demand has waned as its experience with native software has improved.
Why this matters
Some automakers are increasingly trying to control their own software ecosystems rather than outsource key parts of the user experience to Apple or Google. The companies see software, subscriptions, AI services, and connected features as future revenue streams, making in-house platforms more valuable than third-party integrations.
At the same time, AI is becoming a major battleground inside vehicles. Rivian’s approach reflects broader industry trends where automakers are investing heavily in voice assistants, autonomous features, and AI-powered interfaces that can understand context rather than simply execute commands.
What happens next
Rivian is expected to continue to expand its AI ecosystem, especially with upcoming vehicles like the Rivian R2 and future software updates.
Whether AI can truly replace the convenience and familiarity of Apple CarPlay remains unclear. Many drivers still prefer to use the apps, navigation systems, and media services they already rely on every day.
But Rivian’s message is becoming increasingly clear: Instead of bringing CarPlay to its vehicles, the company wants to build something it believes will eventually make CarPlay unnecessary. The bigger question is whether customers will agree.
