Automakers and technology companies showcased AI-powered vehicles at CES in Las Vegas on Tuesday that can recognize individual occupants, track emotions and adapt in real time to drivers and passengers. The demonstrations intensified questions about how much personal data smart cars may collect, retain and use — and who sets the rules for what companies can do with it.
The CES show floor marked an industry-wide pivot toward vehicles conceived as persistent data-gathering companions at a moment when norms governing automotive data collection remain unsettled, privacy advocates said.
LAS VEGAS — Automakers and technology companies showcased AI-powered vehicles at CES on Tuesday that can recognize individual occupants, track emotions and adapt in real time to drivers and passengers, intensifying questions about how much personal data smart cars may collect, retain and use.
Bosch debuted an AI vehicle extension designed to turn the cabin into a “proactive companion.” Nvidia announced Alpamayo, a new vehicle AI initiative intended to help autonomous cars navigate complex driving decisions. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang called it “a ChatGPT moment for physical AI.”
Sri Subramanian, Nvidia’s global head of generative AI for automotive, illustrated the vision with a scenario: a girl slides into the back seat of her parents’ car and the cabin instantly recognizes her, knows it is her birthday and cues up her favorite song without a word spoken. “Think of the car as having a soul and being an extension of your family,” Subramanian said.
Across the show floor, vehicles were presented less as machines and more as companions — monitoring heart rates and emotions and alerting drivers if a baby or young child is accidentally left in the car.
Privacy concerns
The push toward personalized driving is sharpening questions about data governance. Justin Brookman, director of marketplace policy at Consumer Reports, said the industry is still establishing the “rules of the road” for what automakers and tech companies are permitted to do with driver data.
“The magic of AI should not just mean all privacy and security protections are off,” Brookman said.
Unlike smartphones or online platforms, Brookman said, cars have only recently become major repositories of personal data. The uniquely personal nature of vehicles — many people regard them as an extension of themselves or their homes — can make cameras, microphones and other monitoring tools feel especially invasive, he said.
Brookman acknowledged that many of the technologies offer real safety benefits and can be good for consumers.
What the sensors can see
At automotive supplier Gentex’s booth, attendees sat in a mock six-seater van in front of large screens demonstrating how closely the company’s AI-equipped sensors and cameras could monitor occupants.
“Are they sleepy? Are they drowsy? Are they not seated properly? Are they eating, talking on phones? Are they angry? You name it, we can figure out how to detect that in the cabin,” said Brian Brackenbury, director of product line management at Gentex.
Brackenbury said Gentex’s system stores data in the vehicle and deletes it after video frames have been processed. He said it falls ultimately to car manufacturers — not suppliers — to decide how vehicles react to data collected. “Data privacy is really important,” Brackenbury said, adding that the company’s approach is that it will not deploy a capability simply because the technology permits it.