AI Empowers the Entire Automotive Industry Chain with Safety as the 'Golden' Standard

This year, AI is rapidly empowering the entire automotive industry chain, from production to product usage and after-sales service. At Changan Automobile's smart factory located in Chongqing, AI technology has been fully applied to detect metal defects, welding point defects, and large castings, achieving 100% automation in key processes of the production chain. According to the factory manager, there are over 800 intelligent devices, more than 200 fully automated workstations, and over 1,400 robots. Nearly 200 AI applications have been implemented in this automotive production base. In the stamping process, the AI quality inspection system can identify millimeter-level gaps that are undetectable to the naked eye in just 0.01 seconds, ensuring that components enter the next process in optimal condition. Organizations in the automotive industry are accelerating their integration with AI, embracing it to optimize production and manufacturing. Many car manufacturers are now aiming to transform into AI-driven companies. In addition to its application in production, AI is also profoundly changing automotive products and the aftermarket. At the 2025 World Artificial Intelligence Conference, a new intelligent cockpit product that is 'empathetic' was showcased. The behind-the-scenes technology enables a 'smooth and coherent' interaction experience, shifting from singular breakthroughs in AI technology to deep integration across various fields. The head of Geely Automobile's research institute stated that artificial intelligence has evolved from stage 1.0 to 2.0, transforming products from mere transportation tools into intelligent life systems capable of autonomous perception, decision-making, and continuous evolution. Geely has achieved AI empowerment across all product areas and its EA technology system has permeated the entire chain from research and development to production and sales services, accelerating the company's transformation from traditional manufacturing to a technology-driven enterprise. AI is a critical technology driving the evolution of automobiles from mechanical transport tools to intelligent travel spaces, mainly reflected in intelligent cockpits and intelligent driving. AI large models, such as DeepSeek, have attracted over 20 car manufacturers eager to integrate them, while many new force car manufacturers are gradually implementing their self-developed multimodal large models in vehicles. The deputy director of the Internet of Vehicles and Intelligent Transportation Department at the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology noted that consumers can conveniently obtain intelligent services through AI-powered smart cockpits as easily as using apps on their smartphones. These multimodal large models significantly enhance human-computer interaction accuracy, allowing consumers to control air conditioning, seats, navigation, audio and video, etc., via voice or gestures, while also learning user habits for smarter and more convenient adjustments. Innovative applications of new AI technologies not only make intelligent cockpits 'smarter' but also extend into the automotive after-sales service sector. For example, AI cloud diagnostics can monitor vehicle power, battery systems, and thermal management in real-time, providing immediate warnings of anomalies or potential faults; it can also automatically pause charging at 80% to reduce battery wear and optimize battery management, potentially extending lifespan by up to 15%. The application of AI across the entire automotive industry chain continues to deepen, and safety remains the core standard. The mandatory national standard for intelligent connected vehicles, released in June, specifies that all L2-level driver assistance systems must be equipped with driver attention monitoring features. If the driver deviates from dynamic driving tasks, the system must promptly issue graded warnings and automatically decelerate. Complementary recommendations further detail the requirement to identify distractions like closing eyes or yawning within three seconds and to alert via multiple sensory channels. These standards form a 'hard constraint' on the safety baseline for L2 intelligent driving. In response to safety challenges in complex scenarios, AI technology is deeply empowering vehicle safety systems. Experts emphasize that regardless of how new technologies evolve, safety will always be the 'golden' standard for AI applications. The deputy director of the Internet of Vehicles and Intelligent Transportation Department reported that from January to May 2025, the penetration rate of new passenger vehicles with combined driver assistance functions reached approximately 61%, with the pilot programs for intelligent connected vehicles by nine manufacturers steadily progressing. In the future, empowered by AI, technology will continue to iterate and gradually break through capability limits, contributing to the construction of a safer and more convenient road traffic system.