Las Vegas: Japan’s Sony Honda Mobility Inc. said Monday it will tie up with U.S. technology giant Microsoft Corp. in developing interactive artificial intelligence to be loaded into its Afeela electric vehicle now under development.

The joint company between Sony Group Corp. and Honda Motor Co. plans to utilize Microsoft’s technology in the Afeela’s voice command control and also in enhancing the new EV’s automated driving safety. The tie-up plan was announced at a press conference ahead of the CES trade show starting in Las Vegas in the U.S. state of Nevada on Tuesday.

At the same press conference, Izumi Kawanishi, president and COO of Sony Honda Mobility, demonstrated controlling a prototype of the Afeela with a controller of Sony Group’s PlayStation video game console.

Kawanishi invited people to look forward to seeing the Afeela gain intelligence and evolve through interaction with people.

A Microsoft executive who is involved in the project showed expectations by saying that Sony Honda Mobility can create an in-car experience that meets customers’ demands through the collaboration with the U.S. firm.

The Japanese company hopes to utilize in its interactive AI development the technology of U.S. startup Open AI, known for its ChatGPT AI chatbot, which is in partnership with Microsoft.

The utilization of AI is expected to enable Sony Honda Mobility to expand the advanced driver-assistance system and entertainment elements to be offered by the Afeela.

The new EV features screens extended across its dashboard and a multidimensional audio system, with which people can enjoy movies and playing games in a car even during automated driving.

The company aims to build a structure to continuously provide new content and additional functions to Afeela users after delivery as well.

It plans to start taking orders in 2025 and begin deliveries in spring 2026 for customers in North America and within 2026 in Japan.

JIJI Press