voice assistant to handle complex conversational questions
SoundHound (Nasdaq: SOUN) of California has announced the expansion of its advanced voice AI technology to Kia vehicles in India, with the integration of Hindi as a featured language.
Recently launched for the 2025 Kia Carnival and 2025 Kia EV9, SoundHound’s technology offers drivers a seamless voice-enabled experience in one of India’s most widely spoken languages – with over 500 million speakers.
In Kia’s future models, 10 further regional Indian languages, including Bangla and Punjabi, will be integrated in phased manner in addition to Hindi.
As a feature of Kia Connect, the company’s advanced and innovative connected car platform that integrates smart devices, vehicles, and vehicle infotainment systems, SoundHound’s AI-powered voice assistant can interpret and follow conversations in real-time, even before the speaker finishes.
The voice assistant is also capable of handling complex conversational questions, intelligently filtering responses using SoundHound’s proprietary Speech-to-Meaning® and Deep Meaning Understanding® technologies.
Through SoundHound’s extensive library of content domains, Kia drivers and passengers can take advantage of a wide range of in-vehicle voice assistant capabilities – like navigation, calls, and real-time information like sports scores and weather. The assistant also supports in-vehicle controls, so Kia users can now ask to play music, lock doors, change the temperature, control the windows, and more.
This collaboration between SoundHound AI and Kia enables users to control their smart vehicle experience through natural conversation, just as they would if speaking to another person. The partnership with Kia India is a testament to SoundHound’s dedication to providing localized, high-quality voice AI solutions for global markets. Currently, the company provides solutions to a range of automakers globally in multiple languages.
“We’re committed to delivering intuitive conversational experiences that make interactions between people and their devices seamless,” said Michael Zagorsek, COO of SoundHound AI.
“By integrating our advanced voice AI into Kia vehicles in India, we’re not only providing hands-free convenience but also tailoring the experience to local drivers with support for Hindi, ensuring a more personalized and engaging in-car experience,” he said on 14 Nov. Fiinews.com
