With AI digital assistant, drivers talk to their cars

Joshua Montgomery, CEO of Mycroft AI, has a bone to pick with Amazon Alexa, the voice-controlled digital helper that companies such as Toyota, Ford and BMW have integrated into vehicles. "Even though [the car] may run a voice assistant from a tech company, you can't use it to check what the tire pressure is," Montgomery said. He turned his gripe into an idea: an independent, white-label digital assistant that automakers can customize for use in their vehicles. Last year, the startup honed the product by putting it into a Jaguar F-Type test vehicle at Jaguar Land Rover's tech incubator in Portland, Ore. Now, nestled amongst dozens of startups at CES 2018's Eureka Park, Montgomery was courting carmakers, pitching freedom from Silicon Valley's dominant positioning.