- Ford CEO Jim Farley has said the company doesn’t like the execution of CarPlay Ultra.
- However, the executive said they’re committed to Apple and are considering supporting it.
- Farley seemed far more interested in AI assistants and said everyone should have one.
Apple is a tech titan and people usually lineup to buy their pricey products. Despite this, automakers don’t seem particularly interested in CarPlay Ultra.
The software launched on May 15 in Aston Martin vehicles in the United States and Canada. At the time, the company said “CarPlay Ultra builds on the capabilities of CarPlay and provides the ultimate in-car experience by deeply integrating with the vehicle to deliver the best of iPhone and the best of the car.”
More: Why So Many Car Brands Are Suddenly Turning On Apple
Apple went on to say they’d work with automakers to develop custom themes for their vehicles that would “express their distinct design philosophy.” This promised to deliver “experiences that feel tailor-made for each vehicle.”
Despite this, we haven’t heard much about CarPlay Ultra as of late and a number of automakers don’t seem particularly interested in it. We can add one more to that list as Ford CEO Jim Farley lightly trashed it in an interview with Decoder.
Ford Not Sold on the Execution
Asked about the possibility of adding CarPlay Ultra to their vehicles, Farley said they’re considering it but they “don’t like the execution” so far. However, he contends the automaker is “very committed to Apple” and he’s talked to Tim Cook many times.
Farley went on to imply the company wants to be neutral, and allow both Apple and Android users to enjoy a good experience. It’s hard to argue with that, although the company is looking at the customer experience in China to give them insight into which way to go.
Looking Beyond CarPlay
The executive went on to mention AI assistants, which are “very important” to Ford. In fact, Farley thinks “every customer should have an AI assistant in the car.” He went on to suggest this wouldn’t just be a voice, but “something specific” that you can talk to like a companion.
Getting back to Apple, Farley implied there are a lot of questions about the relationship and who’s in control of what. He went on to imply there’s a line in the sand and that’s control of the vehicle itself. In effect, showing stuff on the displays is fine, but things get murkier as the integration gets deeper.
While that’s just a brief overview of the hour long discussion, don’t expect to find CarPlay Ultra in a Ford anytime soon. However, it sounds like AI is coming, regardless of whether or not consumers want it.
