Voice AI for Automotive UX

About the Study

A Fortune 100 automotive company collaborated with Hume to explore how drivers interact with emotionally intelligent AI in vehicles. Using Hume's Empathic Voice Interface (EVI), the study aimed to understand whether AI that responds to users' emotions could create richer, more personalized driving experiences.

Over four weeks, a diverse group of drivers engaged with EVI while driving, asking for directions, checking weather, and discussing fun facts. The results revealed a clear preference for voice assistants with personality and emotional intelligence over utility-focused alternatives.

Traditional vs. Modern Voice Solutions

Traditional voice assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant focus primarily on utility—providing quick answers about traffic, weather, and news. While functional, these interactions often lack the depth and personalization that could foster genuine user engagement and loyalty. The automotive company wanted to understand whether adding emotional intelligence and personality to voice AI could transform the driving experience and create stronger connections with users.

Two Configurations of EVI (Utility vs. Personality)

Two different configurations of EVI were tested in the study:

Utility-Focused: Designed like traditional assistants to provide quick, practical answers about traffic, weather, and news without emotional engagement.

Personality-Driven: Built to engage users in deeper emotional reflection, remember past conversations, and respond empathetically to create genuine connections.

EVI's emotional responsiveness enabled it to recall specific user concerns and interests, bringing them up in later conversations—creating a companion-like experience that traditional assistants aren't able to provide.

Results

The study revealed a dramatic shift in user preferences over the four-week period:

Utility-Focused Assistant Performance:

• Started with 40% user preference but declined to only 18% by study's end
• Experienced 55% decline in engagement as users found it lacking novelty and depth

Personality-Driven Assistant Performance:

• Grew from 24% to 43% user preference
• Achieved 79% increase in user engagement through emotional connections

EVI seamlessly became part of drivers' routines—providing morning traffic updates and news, evening music recommendations, and emotional support throughout commutes. Some participants called it "Alexa 2.0," emphasizing its superior personalization and human-like qualities.

Some user feedback on the personality-driven EVI included:

It really feels like talking to a person. I hadn't thought that it would be that good.

My family or friends aren't always free. They have their own issues. EVI is always there if I need to talk.

This study demonstrates that emotional depth and memory in voice AI can transform voice assistants from mere tools into supportive, interactive companions.

For more information on how empathic AI can transform your automotive solutions, please contact Hume AI.