Rivian elects Cohere’s CEO to its board in latest signal the EV maker is bullish on AI

Aidan Gomez, the co-founder and CEO of generative AI startup Cohere, has been appointed to the board of EV maker Rivian, as per a regulatory filing. This move signifies Rivian’s interest in leveraging AI within its operations and establishing itself as a software leader in the automotive industry.

Rivian has expanded its board and selected Gomez, whose term will run until 2026, according to the filing.

With a background as a data scientist and AI expert, Gomez co-founded Cohere in 2019 to focus on training AI foundation models for businesses. The startup provides services to companies like Oracle and Notion.

Prior to founding Cohere, Gomez worked as a researcher at Google Brain and co-authored the influential technical paper “Attention Is All You Need” in 2017.

Gomez’s expertise in AI could be beneficial for Rivian as it collaborates with Volkswagen Group on a new joint venture aimed at developing software solutions. This collaboration may involve licensing intellectual property rights and potentially offering technology to other companies.

Rivian is also developing an AI assistant for its electric vehicles, separate from the joint venture with VW, to enhance user experience and technology integration.

RJ Scaringe, Rivian’s founder and CEO, expressed confidence in Gomez’s capabilities, stating that his expertise will help integrate advanced technologies into Rivian’s products and services.