AI & Car Shopping: How New Technology Is Changing The Auto Landscape


in Auto FAQs and News
man driving a car

Photo by why kei on Unsplash

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become a transformative force in the 21st century, revolutionizing various industries and reshaping how we live, work, and interact. It’s being used in all sorts of areas, from hospitals to banks, schools to movie theaters – it’s more prevalent than ever and will only improve from here.

Moreover, AI can learn from the information given to do jobs faster, make smarter choices, and even provide tailored content and experiences. This makes things more efficient and creative. Undoubtedly, one area where AI is making a difference is the car industry. It’s changing the way we think about and use cars – particularly with car shopping.

From personalized experiences to streamlined car shopping, there are many benefits to integrating AI in the auto industry for consumers. Let’s look at the primary benefits of AI car shopping and how it can help car buyers. Plus, we’re thrilled to introduce CoPilot’s very own tools to help you leverage AI to make your car shopping easier and better.

How AI is Transforming the Auto Industry

Below are some of the various ways AI car shopping is transforming the auto shopping experience:

AI and Consumer Behavior

Although we’re all individuals with unique wants and needs, one way or another, we fall into a certain behavior as a consumer. As such, AI has become a game-changer in understanding and predicting consumer behavior, especially in the automotive industry. It’s like having a crystal ball that can predict what car shoppers want even before they know it themselves.

For instance, AI can help buyer personas which is a detailed description of a specific target audience. To illustrate, below is an example of a buyer persona:

  • Name: Eco-conscious Emily
  • Age: 32
  • Occupation: Environmental Scientist
  • Location: Portland, Oregon
  • Family Status: Single, no children
  • Income: $75,000 per year
  • Current Vehicle: 10-year-old compact car

In this case, the primary motivation for Emily is to replace her old car with a more environmentally friendly option. She’s particularly interested in electric vehicles (EVs) or hybrids. Considering her age and background, Emily does extensive research online before purchasing. She reads reviews, compares prices, and looks for the most sustainable options.

Dealerships and marketers can feed such information into AI and ensure to help her get the vehicle she wants – all based on her demographic and exhibited behavior. For example, AI can assist Emily by suggesting electric or hybrid cars within her budget with high safety ratings. It can also alert her to any special deals or financing options.

In addition, AI can also provide information on government incentives for EVs, showing her a map of charging stations in her area and suggesting cars that meet most of her preferences within her budget. The best part, it’s all possible without dealing with a car sales associate.


OTHER CAR SHOPPING APPS ARE OUTDATED

You won’t realize how outdated other car searching apps are until you try the CoPilot car shopping app. CoPilot does the hard work for you by searching all of the listings in your area and intelligently creating a personalized list of the best buys in the area that match what you’re looking for.


Vehicle Customization

AI is also transforming how we customize vehicles, making the process more personalized, efficient, and customer-centric. Previously, customizing a car involved the tedious task of manually filling out a list. While this allowed for some level of personalization, it was often time-consuming and could be overwhelming due to the sheer number of choices.

By analyzing customer data, AI can understand individual preferences and suggest personalized vehicle configurations. For example, if a customer likes long road trips, AI might offer comfort-enhancing features like heated seats or advanced cruise control. If a customer lives in a city and primarily uses their car for short trips, AI might suggest features like parking assist or a high-quality sound system for enjoying music on the go.

Furthermore, AI can use predictive analytics to suggest personalized content customers may not have considered but certainly appreciate. As an example, if a customer often drives at night, AI might present a vehicle with enhanced lighting features.

AI can also simplify the customization process by presenting options in a user-friendly way. Instead of overwhelming customers with many options, AI can guide them through the process step by step, making recommendations along the way.


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Personalized Recommendations

Big marketplaces like Amazon have introduced personalized recommendations for the longest. And now, AI has enabled car shoppers to receive customized recommendations. Compared to the traditional way, where customers had to sift through countless options to find the car that best suits their needs, AI car shopping has been easier for the average customer.

AI achieves this by analyzing a wealth of customer data, including past purchases, online browsing behavior, and even social media interactions. This data is processed using machine learning algorithms to identify patterns and predict preferences. For instance, if a customer has previously browsed sports cars with high horsepower, AI can recommend similar models whenever they shop for a new car.

But AI goes beyond just matching previous preferences. It can also identify needs the customer might have yet to express explicitly. For instance, if a customer has recently had a baby, AI might recommend cars with five-star safety ratings and plenty of passenger and cargo space.

Moreover, AI can provide tailored recommendations in real time. As you shop from a platform like CoPilot, AI can instantly analyze your behavior and adjust the recommendations accordingly. For instance, AI can immediately suggest more electric models if a customer spends much time looking at electric vehicles.


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Leverage AI Car Shopping With CoPilot Tools

At CoPilot, we aim to provide a fast, easy, and convenient way to shop for cars. In line with this goal, we have launched two tools to help you leverage AI to make your car shopping experience smoother and hassle-free.

We’re happy to announce our new CoPilot ChatGPT plugin, available to ChatGPT Plus users ($20/mo, which gives access to GPT-4 and plugins). ChatGPT is already great for model analysis and recommendations, but it’s unable to show actual listings. Our plugin aims to fix that and gives you access to real-time listings in your area via ChatGPT. Please feel free to check out our guide on installing the CoPilot ChatGPT plugin.

In addition, we also launched our new AI tool called CoPilot Model Discovery, which is an AI chatbot powered by ChatGPT. Chat with our AI virtual assistant and provide information on the next car you want. Based on the information provider, your trust CoPilot chat model will provide high-quality recommendations and links to actual listings that fit your needs.

With these tools, CoPilot just made shopping for a new or used car even easier. Shop with your CoPilot to save time, money, and frustration. Never buy solo again!



Get a Curated List of the Best Used Cars Near You

The CoPilot car shopping app is the easiest way to buy a car. Tell us what you’re looking for and we’ll search the inventories of every dealership in your area to make you a personalized list of the best car listings in your area.

Only looking for newer models? CoPilot Compare is the search engine for nearly-new cars. Only see cars five years or newer with low mileage — CoPilot Compare is the best way to find off-lease, early trade-in, and CPO cars.

The best part? CoPilot is built using the same technology that dealerships use to buy and sell their inventories, so we have more info on each vehicle than competitors. CoPilot doesn’t work with dealerships, so there are no sponsored posts or other shady practices — just the most info on the best cars. Check out our About Us page to see how CoPilot works.

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