Amid the global surge in artificial intelligence (AI), the automotive industry is keen to secure its position in this transformative wave.

While AI faces challenges in capital markets, it has emerged as a new focal point in promotional efforts at domestic auto launch events. On September 14, BYD unveiled its self-developed intelligent agent, Didi Shrimp, at the launch of the Denza N8L pure electric model, marking its full deployment across Denza's lineup.

The Roewe Joy 07, slated for pre-sale on September 21, has introduced the "Doubao Car" concept, drawing attention as the first model equipped with the Doubao Cabin Assistant. The Joy 07 also positions itself as the industry's inaugural AI-native vehicle.

Adding momentum to this trend, Zeekr's earlier launch of Super EVA, which has been fully integrated across Geely's model range, underscores that traditional brands in 2026 are following the lead of new entrants by embracing the AI+automotive path. AI capabilities are emerging as the next significant competitive advantage in the automotive sector.

So, what exactly is an in-vehicle intelligent agent, and how does it differ from existing in-car assistants?

In-Vehicle Intelligent Agents

To grasp the concept of in-vehicle intelligent agents, we must first examine the offerings of current intelligent cockpits.

With technological advancements, in-car voice assistants have undergone several evolutionary stages. Initially, they relied on voice control through predefined keywords, enabling functional control of the vehicle's systems via voice commands. Essentially, they were passive tools operating on a "you say, I do" basis.

As AI technology progressed, the integration of large language models into vehicles became a viable option. Particularly with the rise of DeepSeek, various intelligent in-car systems announced their integration with DeepSeek's models, significantly enhancing the intelligence of previously cumbersome voice assistants.

A prime example is that vehicle control no longer necessitates 100% accurate voice commands. The in-car system can now execute correct operations from vague instructions, finally functioning like a true assistant.

However, at this stage, the in-car assistant is still in its nascent phase, requiring keyword recognition and limited to vehicle control and basic communication. It cannot truly comprehend user needs like a human assistant.

With the emergence of AI applications like "raising lobsters" in early 2026, users discovered that AI could do more than just answer questions online; it could also act as an assistant, mobilizing more applications to execute commands.

Taking BYD's Didi Shrimp as an illustration, it has integrated multiple third-party intelligent agents, enabling cross-domain task execution. With a single voice command, it can perform multiple operations across various applications, such as navigation and placing orders, truly transforming the cockpit into an intelligent space.

Although it bears similarities to AI assistants on smartphones in terms of voice-activated functionality, its implementation in vehicles demands automakers to achieve intelligent upgrades across the entire vehicle.

For instance, once a route is set, the assisted driving system can take over directly. This necessitates integration between two independent systems—the cockpit and the assisted driving system—and involves safety considerations.

Consequently, different automakers have opted for varying solutions. New entrants in the industry, represented by companies like NIO, XPeng, and Li Auto, persist with full-stack self-research. Li Auto and XPeng have transformed into AI technology companies, with Li Auto even enabling its "Li Auto Assistant" to operate beyond the vehicle's system through ecological hardware, becoming a true assistant for car owners.

Another mainstream approach is adopted by traditional automakers like BYD and Geely. They develop the core framework in-house, integrate multiple mainstream models, and open Agent interfaces to third parties, achieving a balance between functionality and safety.

Beyond these two mainstream solutions, Doubao, under ByteDance, is exploring a new collaboration model by deeply integrating with automakers to provide more comprehensive cockpit solutions.

This represents a novel attempt after Doubao's foray into smartphones, aiming to apply AI capabilities to real commercial scenarios. Doubao sees significant potential in the largely untapped intelligent cockpit sector.

Software Blue Ocean

The current new energy vehicle market has reached a stage of intense competition, particularly with hardware homogenization compelling automakers to seek new areas of differentiation.

For example, in models priced at 100,000 yuan and above, assisted driving and in-car entertainment functions have largely converged, making it challenging for automakers to differentiate through traditional configurations. As competition in screen size, radar, and computing power reaches a bottleneck, AI capabilities naturally become a new dimension of competition. The focus has shifted from "battery capacity" to intelligent capabilities.

Additionally, automakers need to identify new revenue growth avenues. According to industry data, profits in vehicle manufacturing have plummeted to historic lows, rendering the traditional model of selling vehicles with hardware premiums unsustainable.

Automakers urgently require a way out of the cutthroat hardware competition, and AI large models offer a pathway from "hardware-defined" to "software-defined" and finally to "AI-defined" vehicles, with significant commercial value hidden behind this transition.

According to statistics, Doubao's large model completes over 30 million cockpit interactions daily; Li Auto Assistant is activated 2.52 billion times annually, with Task Master executing a total of 14.9 billion tasks; Huawei's Smart Assistant Xiao Yi was activated 130 million times during the Spring Festival.

Driving itself is a high-frequency, essential, and multi-tasking complex scenario. In-vehicle AI assistants are naturally embedded in driving and travel scenarios, eliminating the need for users to "remember" to use them. AI as a service is a fundamental need in automotive cockpits.

For automakers, integrating AI presents a business opportunity. Similar to pre-installed software on new smartphones, a large user base represents inherent value and can serve as leverage in negotiations with AI giants.

On the other hand, for AI companies, in-car intelligent assistants represent the easiest scenario for deep user engagement. Unlike AI smartphones, which must consider the preferences of various smartphone manufacturers and software companies, in-car systems are controlled by automakers. Software companies face fewer restrictions, as seen with the first-generation Doubao smartphone, where many features were blocked by software companies citing security concerns. However, in vehicles, automakers act as referees, making it difficult for third-party software companies to exert control.

ByteDance, behind Doubao, recognizes this market opportunity. From an automotive application perspective, AI capabilities are primarily manifested in intelligent driving and cockpit ecosystems. Intelligent driving is already dominated by self-developed solutions and leading suppliers, but in the cockpit sector, apart from a few new entrants developing their own solutions, most automakers still rely on supplier solutions.

In terms of terminal data, Doubao dominates the AI market with a 41% market share, 382 million monthly active users, and an average monthly usage time of 143 minutes per user, making it a truly national-level software.

For automakers, integrating any intelligent agent is feasible, but Doubao is a particularly attractive choice due to its user base and robust AI capabilities, helping automakers bridge the AI gap in their cockpits.

Industry estimates suggest that the market size for intelligent cockpit solutions in China's passenger vehicle sector is expected to reach 182.8 billion yuan by 2026. Apart from hardware, software solutions will continue to grow. By 2030, software is expected to contribute 25% of total vehicle profits, with the market for vehicle operating systems expected to surpass 100 billion yuan.

Faced with such a vast market scale, automakers struggling with meager manufacturing profits naturally want to seize this opportunity to gain a competitive edge.

Automakers' enthusiasm for integrating AI into vehicles is essentially a strategic choice concerning survival. Electrification has leveled the playing field, while intelligence has created greater disparities. When hardware parameters no longer provide differentiation, the "intelligence" of the vehicle's "brain" becomes the new dividing line.

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