• by Kris Bondi , Op-Ed Contributor, January 23, 2018

Where would we be without our smartphones? With mobile app usage reaching an all-time high, blowing past 4 million combined apps in 2017 from iTunes and Google Play according to comScore, mobile app usage is up 74% as mobiles devices become smarter, and mobile apps are the gateway to every part of our lives through our smartphones.

Last year saw increases in app usage across many spaces, with music apps taking the lead at 79%, followed by 51% for health and fitness. Among those poised to take off are automotive apps.

Today’s automotive industry is rapidly changing through advances in auto technology. From cars as a service, autonomous or semi-autonomous electric vehicles connected to the cloud, a new level of personalization is coming. Mobile app makers who are ready to offer more personalized automotive apps will be in a position to become leaders for the new vehicle experience.

A great example is the new dashboard systems that can be updated with their companion apps and work with the specific person who is driving. Early examples of this are Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which are increasingly installed in vehicles as standard or optional equipment. In addition, Google Assistant and Amazon's Alexa are set to be integrated into several upcoming cars.

To stay competitive, mobile apps and onboard technology need to develop a persona. With smart automotive apps using artificial intelligence, the car will know a driver's specific behaviors based on what it has learned from the user's' moments, before, during and after the ride; and it will be able to customize the in-car experience proactively. This understanding translates into something as specific as knowing who is in the vehicle and personalizing preferences and the corresponding app just for that driver and any passengers present.

AI has a lot to offer the automotive industry:

• Deep and Meaningful Personalization. AI-fueled personalization is better for your automotive product because it lets you understand your users contextually. Knowing the context of a drive, such as leaving work, being sleep deprived or listening to music before entering the car.
• Better Data.  When autotech personalizes the in-car experience based on real-world data, not just broad generalizations based on a vast data set of other drivers, the automobile is more in tune with the individual driver’s intentions and more relevant engagements and offers can be made.
• A Competitive Edge. AI provides automotive companies much-needed differentiation. With car ownership forecasted to decrease as peer-to-peer ridesharing and carshare businesses proliferate, automotive companies aren’t only differentiating among individual cars, but across the entire driver/rider experience. An experience where the app or car knows you and provides an additional incentive to own a car and to choosing a riding experience that is uniquely personal.

The future of the automotive experience goes beyond cars. Now that AI and apps have become ubiquitous in our everyday lives and are being integrated into auto technology, vehicles are developing deeper relationships with their individual drivers and passengers.