LAS VEGAS – At CES, a vivid glimpse into the future was unveiled as a young girl hops into the backseat of her family’s car, triggering the vehicle to spring to life. The car, equipped with AI, acknowledges her presence, celebrates her birthday, and starts playing her favorite tune without needing any prompt.

“Envision the car as possessing a soul, seamlessly integrating with your family,” explained Sri Subramanian, Nvidia’s head of generative AI for automotive, during a presentation on Tuesday.

Subramanian’s scenario, shared with attendees on CES’s inaugural day in Las Vegas, underscores the advanced capabilities of AI-driven in-cabin technologies. These systems are increasingly adept at collecting, storing, and utilizing personal data to enhance the driving experience.

Throughout the exhibition, vehicles were portrayed as more than mere machines; they were depicted as companions, with automakers and tech firms highlighting cars that dynamically adapt to occupants. Features showcased included monitoring heart rates and emotions, as well as providing alerts if a baby or toddler is inadvertently left inside.

Bosch introduced its latest AI vehicle extension, designed to transform the cabin into a “proactive companion.” Meanwhile, Nvidia, a leader in the AI sector, unveiled Alpamayo, a new automotive AI project intended to aid autonomous vehicles in navigating complex decisions. CEO Jensen Huang described it as a “ChatGPT moment for physical AI.”

But experts say the push toward a more personalized driving experience is intensifying questions about how much driver data is being collected.

“The magic of AI should not just mean all privacy and security protections are off,” said Justin Brookman, director of marketplace policy at Consumer Reports.

Unlike smartphones or online platforms, cars have only recently become major repositories of personal data, Brookman said. As a result, the industry is still trying to establish the “rules of the road” for what automakers and tech companies are allowed to do with driver data.

That uncertainty is compounded by the uniquely personal nature of cars, Brookman said. Many people see their vehicles as an extension of themselves — or even their homes — which he said can make the presence of cameras, microphones and other monitoring tools feel especially invasive.

“Sometimes privacy issues are difficult for folks to internalize,” he said. “People generally feel they wish they had more privacy but also don’t necessarily know what they can do to address it.”

At the same time, Brookman said, many of these technologies offer real safety benefits for drivers and can be good for the consumer.

On the CES show floor, some of those conveniences were on display at automotive supplier Gentex’s booth, where attendees sat in a mock six-seater van in front of large screens demonstrating how closely the company’s AI-equipped sensors and cameras could monitor a driver and passengers.

“Are they sleepy? Are they drowsy? Are they not seated properly? Are they eating, talking on phones? Are they angry? You name it, we can figure out how to detect that in the cabin,” said Brian Brackenbury, director of product line management at Gentex.

Brackenbury said it’s ultimately up to the car manufacturers to decide how the vehicle reacts to the data that’s collected, which he said is stored in the car and deleted after the video frames, for example, have been processed. “

“One of the mantras we have at Gentex is we’re not going to do it just because we can, just because the technology allows it,” Brackebury said, adding that “data privacy is really important.”