Cerence Inc. introduced two new AI agents to its ecosystem of intelligent, domain-specific agents built to address its customers' most pressing challenges. The dealer assist agent, an AI agent designed to transform the way automotive dealerships engage with their customers, and the ownership companion agent, an in-car AI agent that assists drivers with service and maintenance needs, will debut at CES 2026 in Las Vegas. The new offerings follow the company's recent introduction of its mobile work AI agent developed in collaboration with Microsoft.
Meet the dealer assist agent: dealerships face a growing disconnect between their customers' expectations for a seamless experience and the operational realities of limited staff and fragmented technology systems. Almost half of online leads receive no response within the first 24 hours, despite research showing that companies contacting prospects within an hour of receiving a lead were about seven times as likely to qualify the lead. This disconnect impacts the bottom line for dealers: up to 15-20% of potential monthly sales are lost because no one is available to respond to leads after hours or during peak times, and dealerships lack the AI tools they need to quickly follow-up with leads. Acting as both a sales and service assistant, the dealer assist agent automates lead capture, test drive booking, and service scheduling while delivering real-time updates and routing high-value interactions to dealership staff.
Deep integration with Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Dealer Management System (DMS) platforms ensures every customer interaction is seamless, consistent, and personal - reducing response times, boosting satisfaction, and freeing advisors to focus on high-value interactions. The agentic sales and service experience is extensible to markets beyond automotive. Creating an AI-powered service loop: Packaged together, the two agents enable real-time, context-aware handoffs between the vehicle and the dealership, creating a service loop which empowers OEMs to extend their brand experience beyond the dashboard and helps dealers proactively engage customers in moments that matter.
