Hyundai's AI-Powered Robot Will Help Customers at Car Dealerships

Photo credit: Hyundai Motor Group

From Car and Driver

• Hyundai Motor Group has created a four-foot-tall AI-powered robot named DAL-e, which will be a pilot project in one of its dealerships in South Korea.

• The robot, equipped with facial recognition tech, is intended to help customers in showrooms by providing information about products and services.

• DAL-e will go through improvements while it's being piloted, but if all goes well, other Hyundai and Kia dealers could get their own DAL-e.

One Hyundai dealership in South Korea is gaining a new employee: DAL-e, a four-foot-tall artificial-intelligence-powered robot. If all goes well in the pilot program, the Hyundai Motor Group—which includes Kia—could send another DAL-e, which stands for "Drive you, Assist you, Link with you-experience," to the Hyundai or Kia dealership nearest you.

Currently there is no timeline for when more DAL-e robots could appear, and before they do, Hyundai says, it will be updated and improved through the pilot program. The purpose of DAL-e is to provide information on products and services. So for now, at least, it doesn't look like DAL-e will try to sell you a car, but perhaps that'll change once it learns about commissions.

Photo credit: Hyundai Motor Group

AI technology gives DAL-e the ability to recognize faces and communicate. If a customer comes into a showroom without a mask on, DAL-e will recognize that and will be able to remind the person to put on a mask. DAL-e, with its four omnidirectional wheels, will also be able to move freely throughout a showroom, escorting customers to wherever they need to go.

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