Aidan Gomez, co-founder and CEO of the generative AI startup Cohere, has joined the board of directors at electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer Rivian, as confirmed by a regulatory filing. This move underscores Rivian’s growing interest in harnessing AI to advance its ventures and solidify its position as a leader in automotive software development.
The filing also indicates that Rivian has expanded its board size to accommodate Gomez, with his term set to expire in 2026.
Gomez’s Expertise and AI Background
Gomez brings a wealth of experience in data science and artificial intelligence to Rivian. He co-founded Cohere in 2019 with Nick Frosst and Ivan Zhang, focusing on training AI foundation models for businesses. Cohere’s generative AI technology serves major companies like Oracle and Notion.
Before launching Cohere, Gomez worked as a researcher at Google Brain, a prominent division within Google led by Nobel Prize-winning scientist Geoffrey Hinton. He is also well-known for co-authoring the 2017 paper “Attention Is All You Need,” which laid the foundation for many of today’s most advanced generative AI models.
AI’s Role in Rivian’s Software Strategy
Gomez’s appointment could be pivotal for Rivian as it embarks on a new $5.8 billion joint venture with Volkswagen Group to develop software solutions. The partnership will enable Rivian to share its expertise in electrical architecture with Volkswagen and its affiliated brands, while also potentially licensing its intellectual property. In the future, this venture may open the door to selling Rivian’s technology to other companies.
Rivian has already been exploring AI’s potential, having been working on an AI assistant for its vehicles since 2023. Wassym Bensaid, Rivian’s chief software officer, shared in a March interview with TechCrunch that the AI assistant’s development focuses on an orchestration framework, separate from the VW joint venture.
Rivian founder and CEO RJ Scaringe expressed his confidence in Gomez’s ability to support the company’s efforts in integrating cutting-edge technologies into its products, services, and manufacturing processes. With his deep expertise in AI, Gomez’s contributions will likely play a significant role in advancing Rivian’s software capabilities and enhancing the user experience for its electric vehicles.
