Verified
Ford Motor Company
Piloting- Automotive
- ~169,000 employees
- Chief AI and Data Officer named Aug 2026
- FordLLM in-house
- App assistant for ~8M owners
Ford Motor Company deploys AI mostly through customer products: an assistant in the Ford and Lincoln apps, hosted on Google Cloud and opening in waves from Aug 2026 to about 8 million eligible owners, and Ford Pro AI for fleet customers in the U.S., Europe and Canada. Ford staff use FordLLM, an internal platform, alongside Microsoft Copilot, Google Gemini and Anthropic tools. Ford named Mano Mannoochahr Chief AI and Data Officer in Aug 2026 and has published no staff usage or dollar return for AI.
corporate.ford.comTheir approach to AI
- The platform
- FordLLM is Ford's internal AI platform for employees (Forbes, Nov 2025), and Ford's Enterprise Technology group also administers Microsoft Copilot, Google Gemini and Anthropic tools and the AI agents built on them (job posting, 2026).
- The models
- Ford's app assistant runs on off-the-shelf large language models hosted on Google Cloud (Jan 2026), Ford Pro AI is built on Google Cloud with several AI agents (Mar 2026), and Ford's engineers run AI on a few thousand of Ford's own Nvidia GPUs (Mar 2025).
- The reach
- The Ford AI assistant is opening in waves from Aug 2026 to about 8 million eligible Ford and Lincoln app customers, with in-vehicle versions due by 2027; Ford has not said how many of its about 169,000 employees use AI tools.
- The catch
- Ford has put no dollar figure on AI, and its executives said in Jun 2026 that Ford had hired about 350 veteran engineers over three years after automated quality systems fell short.
Snapshot
- Employees
- ~169,000
- Worldwide at the end of 2025 (2025 Form 10-K)
- Technology budget
- Not disclosed
- Engineering, research and development expense was $9.4B in 2025
- AI/ML headcount
- Not disclosed
- About 550 former Argo AI staff formed Latitude AI in Mar 2023
- Who owns AI
- Mano Mannoochahr, Chief AI and Data Officer
- Named Aug 2026 (trade press); Enterprise Technology, under Michael Amend, administers staff AI tools
- Platform
- FordLLM, built in-house
- Plus Microsoft Copilot, Google Gemini and Anthropic tools for staff (2026)
- Models
- Off-the-shelf LLMs on Google Cloud
- For the app assistant and Ford Pro AI; Gemini as an opt-in in-vehicle voice assistant
- Reach
- ~8 million eligible app customers
- Ford and Lincoln owners from Aug 2026; employee usage not disclosed
- Use cases
- Customer assistants, plant quality, planning, engineering
- Ford has published no count of AI use cases
Key findings
Ford announced an AI assistant at CES on Jan 7, 2026 that runs on off-the-shelf large language models hosted on Google Cloud, opened it in the Ford and Lincoln apps on Aug 10, 2026 in waves to about 8 million eligible owners, and plans to build it into select vehicles by 2027.
Ford launched Ford Pro AI on Mar 10, 2026, a fleet assistant built on Google Cloud with several AI agents for U.S. Ford Pro Telematics subscribers at no extra cost, and extended it to Europe on Jul 15, 2026 and to Canada on Aug 24, 2026.
Ford executives told Bloomberg in Jun 2026 that Ford had hired about 350 veteran engineers over three years after relying more and more on automated quality systems gave disappointing results, and that the engineers train younger staff and help reprogram the AI tools.
CFO Sherry House said on Oct 28, 2026 that Ford uses AI across its business segments and operations, including AI tools that match demand sensing to capacity planning, but Ford has put no dollar figure on the savings.
Ford named Mano Mannoochahr, formerly Verizon's chief data, analytics and AI officer, as Chief AI and Data Officer in Aug 2026, after Franziska Bell left Ford's top data and AI role for The Home Depot in Apr 2026; Ford has not said how many of its about 169,000 employees use AI tools.
Where Ford sits
- Stage
- Piloting
Ford Motor Company sits at Piloting: FordLLM and enterprise AI tools from Microsoft, Google and Anthropic are sanctioned for staff, and a handful of AI products run in production, chiefly the Ford and Lincoln app assistant, Ford Pro AI, about 900 AI cameras checking quality in Ford plants and AI tools in sales and operating planning. Ford Motor Company falls short of Scaling because it has not disclosed how many employees use AI or how many AI use cases run in production, and its Chief AI and Data Officer, named in Aug 2026, has not yet reported results.
How the stages are defined - Ownership
- Chief AI and Data Officer Mano Mannoochahr (Aug 2026); Enterprise Technology under Michael Amend runs staff AI tools
- Platform
- Hybrid: FordLLM built in-house; Copilot, Gemini and Anthropic bought
- Models
- Off-the-shelf LLMs on Google Cloud; Copilot, Gemini and Anthropic for staff
- Hosting
- Google Cloud for the customer assistants; Ford's own Nvidia GPUs for engineering AI; Latitude AI's own GPU data centers; staff tools hosted by their vendors
- Reach
- About 8 million eligible app customers (Aug 2026); staff use not disclosed
How they deploy
Customers first, through the app
Ford put its first broad generative AI product in front of customers rather than staff. Mike Aragon, president of Ford Integrated Services, wrote in Jan 2026 that Ford chose an app-first route because it reaches millions of Ford customers faster, including owners of vehicles already on the road, and in Aug 2026 that the in-vehicle assistant due by 2027 will use the same foundation. Ford Pro followed in Mar 2026 with Ford Pro AI for commercial fleets, then took it to Europe and Canada.
Own the vehicle technology
Ford is bringing driver assistance and vehicle computing in-house. Doug Field, then chief EV, digital and design officer, wrote at CES in Jan 2026 that Ford designs its own high performance compute module and that owning the technology lets Ford deliver more capability at a 30% lower cost than buying it from outside suppliers, with Level 3 eyes-off driving road ready in 2028. Latitude AI, the subsidiary Ford formed in Mar 2023 to develop a hands-free, eyes-off system, describes its own AI models and GPU data centers.
AI tools in the industrial system
Ford's executives describe AI as part of a cost and quality push. Kumar Galhotra said on Oct 23, 2025 that Ford is deploying AI across its entire industrial system, including 900 AI-powered cameras that detect quality issues in its plants. Sherry House said on Oct 28, 2026 that Ford has transformed its sales and operating plan with AI tools that match demand sensing to capacity planning, and Jim Farley said on the same call that Ford will move AI tools into the core of the company as fast as it can, curated by Galhotra's team.
Engineers back in the loop
Ford reversed part of its reliance on automation in engineering quality. Kumar Galhotra told Bloomberg in Jun 2026 that Ford had been relying more and more on automated quality systems without the results it wanted, and Charles Poon, vice president of vehicle hardware engineering, said Ford mistakenly thought that introducing artificial intelligence and ingesting design requirements would be enough. Bloomberg reported that Ford uses the rehired engineers to train younger staff and reprogram AI tools, and TechCrunch noted that Ford is not abandoning its AI plans.
Google as the main cloud, several model vendors
Ford named Google Cloud its preferred cloud provider in a six-year partnership announced on Feb 1, 2021, which covered AI, machine learning and data analytics for product development, manufacturing and supply chain. Ford's customer assistants run on Google Cloud, Ford's engineers run most of their AI work on Ford's own Nvidia GPUs, and Ford's Enterprise Technology group administers enterprise AI tools from Microsoft, Google and Anthropic for staff.
- Deployment model
- Ford Motor Company named Mano Mannoochahr Chief AI and Data Officer in Aug 2026 to work with teams across Ford Blue, Ford Model e, Ford Pro and Ford Credit, according to CDO Magazine; Ford has not published his reporting line. Enterprise Technology, led by Chief Enterprise Technology Officer Michael Amend, who reports directly to Jim Farley, administers employee AI platforms and agent governance. Customer AI products sit in the business units: Ford Integrated Services under Mike Aragon runs the app assistant, and Ford Pro under Alicia Boler Davis offers Ford Pro AI through Ford Pro Intelligence. Vehicle software, electronics and driver assistance moved in Apr 2026 into a product creation and industrialization organization under COO Kumar Galhotra, and Latitude AI is Ford's automated driving subsidiary.
- Model providers
- Ford Motor Company's app assistant is built on off-the-shelf large language models and hosted on Google Cloud, according to TechCrunch in Jan 2026; Ford has not named the model provider. Ford Pro AI is built on Google Cloud and uses several AI agents (TechCrunch, Mar 2026). Google Gemini is an opt-in alternative to Google Assistant for voice in Ford and Lincoln Digital Experience vehicles (Aug 2026). For staff, a Ford Enterprise Technology job posting removed on Oct 8, 2026 lists Microsoft Copilot, Google Gemini and Anthropic as the enterprise AI platforms the team administers, and Ford's Trends 2024 report said Ford's own employee portal gave access to ChatGPT and similar tools. Bryan Goodman, Ford's director of AI, told the Wall Street Journal in Mar 2025 that Ford would use a mix of models including OpenAI, Anthropic and DeepSeek, as reported by Ford Authority.
- Data and infrastructure
- Ford Motor Company named Google Cloud its preferred cloud provider in Feb 2021 under a six-year partnership that also put Android with Google apps in Ford and Lincoln vehicles. Bryan Goodman told the Wall Street Journal in Mar 2025, as reported by Ford Authority, that Ford had moved almost everything to the cloud except high-performance computing and runs most of its AI work on a few thousand of its own Nvidia GPUs because cloud GPUs were costly and hard to get. Ford's app assistant draws on owner's manual information and live telemetry from the customer's linked vehicle, such as tire pressure and oil life, and Ford Pro AI draws on data from the embedded modems in commercial vehicles and on each customer's own fleet data, which TechCrunch reported reduces AI errors. Latitude AI describes an off-vehicle machine learning ecosystem that includes its own GPU data centers.
Platforms and internal tools
FordLLMBeta by 2024
FordLLM is Ford's internal AI platform, which Forbes described in Nov 2025 as widening access to AI across Ford's workforce. Ford's Trends 2024 report said Ford was beta-testing its own LLM, a secure employee portal that gives access to ChatGPT and similar generative AI tools for drafting internal communications, marketing copy and software.
- Users
- Not disclosed
Ford AI Assistant (Ford and Lincoln apps)Aug 2026
The Ford AI Assistant answers questions about an owner's specific vehicle from the Ford and Lincoln apps, using owner's manual information, uploaded photos and live telemetry such as tire pressure and oil life, explains features such as BlueCruise, checks what fits in the cargo space and decodes warning lights. Ford announced the assistant at CES on Jan 7, 2026, opened it on Aug 10, 2026 in waves to eligible 2021 and newer vehicles with an activated modem, and plans to integrate it into select vehicles by 2027.
- Users
- About 8 million eligible customers (Aug 2026)
- Models
- Off-the-shelf LLMs hosted on Google Cloud
Ford Pro AIMar 2026
Ford Pro AI is a fleet assistant inside Ford Pro Telematics software that answers questions on vehicle health and service priorities, analyzes fuel use, idle time, speeding and seatbelt use, links to service scheduling and drafts messages. Ford Pro AI is included at no extra cost for Ford Pro Telematics subscribers in the U.S. (Mar 2026) and Canada (Aug 2026) and launched in Europe in Jul 2026; Ford has not said how many use it, and Ford Pro counted 879,000 paid software subscriptions in the first quarter of 2026.
- Users
- Ford Pro Telematics customers in the U.S., Europe and Canada
- Models
- Built on Google Cloud with several AI agents
Enterprise AI tools for staff
Ford's Enterprise Technology group administers Microsoft Copilot, Google Gemini and Anthropic tools and the AI agents built on them, including licensing, agent registration and ownership attestation, least-privilege access, and usage and cost tracking, according to an Enterprise AI Administrator posting removed on Oct 8, 2026.
- Models
- Microsoft Copilot, Google Gemini, Anthropic
Latitude AI automated driving stackMar 2023
Latitude AI is a wholly owned Ford subsidiary formed with about 550 former Argo AI employees to build a hands-free, eyes-off driver-assist system for future Ford vehicles. Latitude AI describes an in-house autonomy stack and an off-vehicle machine learning ecosystem with its own GPU data centers.
Vendors and partners
Google Cloud2021
Preferred cloud provider; hosts the app assistant and Ford Pro AI; Gemini as an in-vehicle voice option · Ford and Google announced a six-year partnership on Feb 1, 2021 that made Google Cloud Ford's preferred cloud and covered AI, machine learning and data analytics.
Microsoft
Microsoft Copilot for Ford staff · Listed among the enterprise AI platforms administered by Ford's Enterprise Technology group in a 2026 job posting.
Anthropic
Enterprise AI platform for Ford staff · Listed among the enterprise AI platforms administered by Ford's Enterprise Technology group in a 2026 job posting; Ford has not described how it uses Anthropic's models.
Nvidia
GPUs in Ford's own data centers for engineering AI · Bryan Goodman told the Wall Street Journal in Mar 2025 that Ford runs a few thousand Nvidia GPUs and was preparing its data centers for the next generation, as reported by Ford Authority.
Leadership
AI, data and platform leaders
Executives
AI org map
Chief AI and Data Officer named Aug 2026; staff AI tools in Enterprise Technology, customer AI products in the business units
Ford Motor Company named Mano Mannoochahr Chief AI and Data Officer in Aug 2026, four months after Franziska Bell, who led AI transformation as chief data, AI and analytics officer, left to become chief technology officer of The Home Depot; Ford has not published where the role reports. Enterprise Technology, under Chief Enterprise Technology Officer Michael Amend, reports directly to CEO Jim Farley and administers employee AI platforms; customer AI products sit with Ford Integrated Services (the app assistant) and Ford Pro (Ford Pro AI). In Apr 2026 Ford folded the EV, digital and design team that Doug Field had led into a new product creation and industrialization organization under COO Kumar Galhotra, and Field was due to leave Ford the following month, according to an 8-K filed on Apr 15, 2026.
Ford Motor Company has not published a count of its AI and machine learning staff. Ford's AI work sits in several places: Chief AI and Data Officer Mano Mannoochahr, named in Aug 2026; Enterprise Technology under Michael Amend, which administers employee AI platforms and includes the Global Data Insight & Analytics organization; vehicle software, electronics and driver-assistance teams, folded in Apr 2026 into the product creation and industrialization organization under Kumar Galhotra; and Latitude AI, formed in Mar 2023 with about 550 former Argo AI employees. Ford Business Solutions, Ford's technology and business services hub in India, had about 12,000 employees in Feb 2025, and nearly half of Ford's global enterprise technology team was based in Chennai, according to Analytics India Magazine.
Reporting lines
President and CEO
Enterprise Technology
Michael Amend, Chief Enterprise Technology Officer
Reports directly to the CEO (2025 Form 10-K); includes IT and Global Data Insight and Analytics; administers enterprise AI tools and agent governance
Cybersecurity
Chief Information Security Officer, unnamed in the 10-K and in the role for over eight years
Product creation and industrialization
Kumar Galhotra, COO
Created Apr 2026 and absorbed the EV, digital and design team; the line to the CEO is inferred, not published
Ford Integrated Services
Mike Aragon, President
Runs the Ford AI Assistant in the Ford and Lincoln apps; the line to the CEO is inferred, not published
Ford Pro
Alicia Boler Davis, President
Ford Pro Intelligence offers Ford Pro AI; the line to the CEO is inferred, not published
AI and data
Mano Mannoochahr, Chief AI and Data Officer
Named Aug 2026 to work across Ford Blue, Ford Model e, Ford Pro and Ford Credit; reporting line not published
AI team
Bryan Goodman, Director of AI (unconfirmed)
Engineering AI, including aerodynamic prediction; reporting line not published
Latitude AI
Sammy Omari, CEO
Wholly owned automated driving subsidiary; its reporting line inside Ford is not published
Ford Motor Company publishes no organization chart. Michael Amend's direct line to the CEO comes from the 2025 Form 10-K; the lines for Kumar Galhotra, Mike Aragon and Alicia Boler Davis are inferred from their status as executive officers, and Mano Mannoochahr's line is not published. Doug Field, who reported directly to Jim Farley according to TechCrunch, was due to leave in May 2026 under the 8-K filed on Apr 15, 2026.
Named people
Use cases
Ford Motor Company has not published a count of its AI use cases. The ones on the record are an AI assistant in the Ford and Lincoln apps (Aug 2026), Ford Pro AI for fleet telematics customers (Mar 2026), 900 AI-powered cameras that check quality in Ford plants (Oct 2025), AI guidance for dealer technicians (Sep 2026), AI tools in sales and operating planning (Oct 2026), FordLLM and vendor AI tools for staff, AI in design and engineering simulation, and automated driving at Latitude AI. Ford Motor Company has reported no business return credited to AI for any of them; CFO Sherry House said in Oct 2026 that the planning tools lead to real savings without giving a figure.
| Use case | Area | Status | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ford AI Assistant in the Ford and Lincoln apps The Ford AI Assistant answers owners' questions about their own vehicle from the app, using owner's manual information, uploaded photos and live telemetry, and has been opening in waves since Aug 2026 to about 8 million eligible customers. | Connected services | In production | |
| In-vehicle AI assistant Ford plans to build the AI assistant into select Ford and Lincoln vehicles by 2027 on the same foundation as the app version. | Connected services | Announced | |
| Gemini voice option in Digital Experience vehicles Ford is rolling out Google Gemini as an opt-in alternative to Google Assistant for voice control in Ford and Lincoln vehicles with the Digital Experience system. | Connected services | In production | |
| Ford Pro AI fleet assistant Ford Pro AI answers fleet managers' questions on vehicle health, service priorities, fuel use, idle time and driver behavior, links to service scheduling and drafts messages, for Ford Pro Telematics subscribers in the U.S. since Mar 2026, Europe since Jul 2026 and Canada since Aug 2026. | Ford Pro | In production | |
| AI guidance for dealer technicians Ford Pro uses AI, paired with augmented reality, to walk dealer technicians step by step through repairs they have not done before, such as removing an engine from a Super Duty truck, Jim Farley said in Sep 2026. | Ford Pro | In production | |
| AI vision quality checks in plants Ford added 900 AI-powered cameras across its plants to detect quality issues at the source (Oct 2025), and Jim Farley said in Sep 2026 that Ford's AI vision systems check panel dimensions and whether doors fit. | Manufacturing | In production | |
| Demand sensing in sales and operating planning Ford uses AI tools to match demand sensing to capacity planning in its sales and operating plan, which CFO Sherry House said gives more stable production. | Operations | In production | |
| AI in design and engineering simulation Ford engineers use an AI model that predicts aerodynamic results in about 10 seconds instead of a roughly 15-hour simulation run, and designers use generative AI to turn one sketch into hundreds of design variations, according to Forbes (Nov 2025). | Product development | In production | |
| Automated quality checks on vehicle designs Ford relied increasingly on automated quality systems and AI that ingests design requirements, then hired veteran engineers who run mandatory weekly design reviews and help reprogram the AI tools (Jun 2026). | Product development | In production | |
| Customer-facing AI agents Ford runs customer-facing AI agents that answer queries by drawing on several knowledge sources, according to Forbes (Nov 2025). | Customer service | In production | |
| FordLLM and enterprise AI tools for staff Ford staff use FordLLM, which Ford said in 2024 helps with drafting internal communications, marketing copy and software, plus Microsoft Copilot, Google Gemini and Anthropic tools administered by Enterprise Technology. | Firmwide | In production | |
| Hands-free, eyes-off driving Ford is developing a Level 3 eyes-off driving system in-house, which Doug Field said in Jan 2026 will be road ready in 2028; Latitude AI was formed in 2023 to build a hands-free, eyes-off system for future Ford vehicles. | Automated driving | Announced |
Adoption
Ford Motor Company has published little on internal AI adoption. Ford's Trends 2024 report said Ford was beta-testing its own LLM, a secure portal that gives employees access to ChatGPT and similar tools, and Forbes reported in Nov 2025 that FordLLM widens access to AI across Ford's workforce. In the plants, Ford had added 900 AI-powered cameras to catch quality issues by Oct 2025. On the customer side, the Ford AI Assistant has been opening in waves since Aug 2026 to about 8 million eligible Ford and Lincoln owners, and Ford Pro AI is included for Ford Pro Telematics subscribers in the U.S., Europe and Canada. Ford has not said how many of its about 169,000 employees use AI tools, or how many customers have used either assistant.
By the numbers
Rollout, first pilot to today
Feb 1, 2021
Ford named Google Cloud its preferred cloud provider in a six-year partnership covering AI, machine learning and data analytics, with Android and Google apps in Ford and Lincoln vehicles.
Mar 2, 2023
Ford formed Latitude AI, a wholly owned subsidiary built around about 550 former Argo AI employees, to develop hands-free, eyes-off driving.
2024
Ford's Trends 2024 report said Ford was beta-testing its own LLM, a secure employee portal with access to ChatGPT and similar tools for drafting communications, marketing copy and software.
Mar 2025
Bryan Goodman told the Wall Street Journal that Ford would use a mix of models including OpenAI, Anthropic and DeepSeek and runs most of its AI work on a few thousand of its own Nvidia GPUs.
Oct 23, 2025
Kumar Galhotra said Ford is deploying AI across its entire industrial system and has added 900 AI-powered cameras across its plants to detect quality issues at the source.
Nov 2025
Forbes reported that FordLLM widens access to AI across Ford's workforce and that customer-facing AI agents answer queries from several knowledge sources.
Jan 7, 2026
Ford announced at CES an AI assistant hosted on Google Cloud, to launch in the Ford and Lincoln apps in the first half of 2026 and in vehicles in 2027.
Mar 10, 2026
Ford Pro launched Ford Pro AI for U.S. Ford Pro Telematics subscribers at Work Truck Week.
Jul 15, 2026
Ford Pro AI launched in Europe.
Aug 10, 2026
Ford opened the AI assistant in waves to eligible Ford and Lincoln app customers, about 8 million in all, and said it is rolling out Gemini as an opt-in voice assistant in Digital Experience vehicles.
Aug 11, 2026
Ford named Mano Mannoochahr Chief AI and Data Officer.
Aug 24, 2026
Ford Pro AI became available at no extra cost to Ford Pro Telematics subscribers in Canada.
Oct 28, 2026
Sherry House said Ford uses AI across its business segments and operations, including AI tools in its sales and operating plan.
Economics & controls
Spend and ROI
Technology and R&D spending
Ford Motor Company does not disclose a technology or AI budget. Ford's engineering, research and development expense was $9.4 billion in 2025, up from $8.0 billion in 2024 and $8.2 billion in 2023, according to the 2025 Form 10-K, and Ford kept its 2026 capital spending guidance at $9.5 billion to $10.5 billion on Oct 28, 2026.
What AI itself costs
Ford Motor Company has not disclosed what it spends on AI models, cloud inference or AI licenses. Ford Pro AI is included at no extra cost for Ford Pro Telematics subscribers, and a Ford Enterprise Technology posting removed on Oct 8, 2026 lists tracking AI usage, licensing and costs, with cost attribution and demand forecasting, among the duties of its Enterprise AI Administrator. Bryan Goodman said in Mar 2025 that Ford runs most of its AI work on its own GPUs because cloud GPU compute was expensive and hard to get.
Reported ROI
Ford Motor Company has reported no dollar return credited to AI. Sherry House said on Oct 28, 2026 that efficiencies across the business, including the use of AI, together with industrial improvements helped Ford absorb most of the headwinds from the Middle East conflict and rising commodity costs, and that AI tools in sales and operating planning lead to more stable production and real savings, without a figure. Ford attributes its $1.5 billion cut in warranty and material costs in 2025, and the $1 billion more targeted for 2026, to its quality and cost work and has not tied either figure to AI.
Headcount
Ford Motor Company had about 169,000 employees worldwide at the end of 2025, according to the 2025 Form 10-K. Jim Farley said at the Aspen Ideas Festival in Jun 2025 that AI will replace literally half of all white-collar workers in the U.S., and in Sep 2026 that routine knowledge work will be changed and eliminated, but Ford has not tied any reduction in its own workforce to AI. In Jun 2026 Ford's executives said Ford had hired about 350 veteran engineers over three years, many of them former employees and others from suppliers, after automated quality systems fell short.
Governance and risk
Enterprise AI administration
Ford Motor Company's Enterprise Technology group maintains AI governance policies with Legal, Privacy, HR and Cybersecurity, manages AI agent registration and ownership with periodic ownership attestation, applies least-privilege access to agents and AI services, and works with security teams on prompt injection and data leakage, according to an Enterprise AI Administrator posting removed on Oct 8, 2026.
Cybersecurity and IT risk
Ford Motor Company's Chief Information Security Officer reports to Chief Enterprise Technology Officer Michael Amend, who reports directly to the CEO, and the two are the executive risk owners for cybersecurity. Ford's board has delegated oversight of cybersecurity and information technology risks to its Audit Committee, according to the 2025 Form 10-K.
Grounding customer assistants in Ford data
Ford Motor Company ties its app assistant to each customer's linked vehicle and owner's manual and collects feedback in the app to improve answers (Aug 2026). TechCrunch reported in Mar 2026 that Ford Pro AI uses each customer's internal fleet data to reduce AI hallucinations and errors, and Ford says human oversight of Ford Pro AI's output is critical.
Engineers checking AI in design
Ford Motor Company's rehired veteran engineers act as internal auditors who run mandatory weekly design reviews to catch failure points before designs reach the factory, according to FOX 2 Detroit in Jul 2026, and Bloomberg reported in Jun 2026 that Ford uses them to reprogram AI tools that fell short.
Disclosed risks and regulation
Ford Motor Company's 2025 Form 10-K says Ford could be affected by more stringent privacy, data and artificial intelligence laws, that the rapid evolution and adoption of AI may intensify data protection risks, and that the EU is likely to adopt more requirements on in-vehicle data, artificial intelligence and autonomous vehicle technologies.
Driver-assistance oversight
Ford Motor Company's BlueCruise hands-free driving system remained under NHTSA investigation as of Mar 2026, when the NTSB found that drivers in two fatal BlueCruise crashes were likely distracted. Ford says BlueCruise is a convenience feature and drivers must always be ready to take control.
Recent signals
Oct 28, 2026
Sherry House said on Ford's Q3 2026 call that Ford uses AI across its business segments and operations and AI tools that match demand sensing to capacity planning, and Jim Farley said Ford will move AI tools into the core of the company as fast as it can.
Sep 30, 2026
Jim Farley said at Ford Pro Accelerate in Detroit that Ford Pro uses AI to guide dealer technicians through unfamiliar repairs, that Ford's AI vision systems check panel dimensions and door fit, and that AI will mostly reach skilled trades as a companion.
Aug 24, 2026
Ford Pro AI became available at no extra cost to Ford Pro Telematics subscribers in Canada, after the U.S. and Europe.
Aug 11, 2026
Ford named Mano Mannoochahr, formerly Verizon's chief data, analytics and AI officer, as Chief AI and Data Officer to work across Ford Blue, Ford Model e, Ford Pro and Ford Credit.
Aug 10, 2026
Mike Aragon said the Ford AI Assistant was opening in waves to about 8 million eligible Ford and Lincoln app customers and that Ford is rolling out Gemini as an opt-in voice assistant in Digital Experience vehicles.
Jul 15, 2026
Ford Pro AI launched in Europe, taking in signals such as seatbelt use, engine health and maintenance metrics from fleet vehicles.
Jul 1, 2026
FOX 2 Detroit reported that Ford's rehired veteran engineers, roughly 300 by Ford's count, run mandatory weekly design reviews as internal auditors, and wrote that the hiring helped Ford top J.D. Power's 2026 Initial Quality Study.
Jun 25, 2026
Ford executives told Bloomberg that Ford had hired about 350 veteran engineers over three years after relying more and more on automated quality systems gave disappointing results, and that the engineers train younger staff and reprogram AI tools.
Apr 29, 2026
Sherry House said on Ford's Q1 2026 call that Ford Pro AI helps commercial fleet managers identify maintenance needs and lower fuel costs; Ford Pro paid software subscriptions reached 879,000, up 30% from a year earlier.
Apr 15, 2026
Ford said Doug Field, chief EV, digital and design officer, would leave the next month, and folded his team into a new product creation and industrialization organization under COO Kumar Galhotra.
Mar 31, 2026
The Home Depot named Franziska Bell, who had led AI transformation at Ford as chief data, AI and analytics officer, its chief technology officer from Apr 6, 2026.
Mar 10, 2026
Ford Pro launched Ford Pro AI, a fleet assistant built on Google Cloud with several AI agents, for U.S. Ford Pro Telematics subscribers at no extra cost.
Jan 8, 2026
Doug Field wrote at CES that Ford designs its own high performance compute module, that in-house technology delivers more capability at 30% lower cost than buying it, and that Level 3 eyes-off driving will be road ready in 2028.
Jan 7, 2026
Ford announced at CES an AI assistant built on off-the-shelf large language models and hosted on Google Cloud, starting in the Ford and Lincoln apps in 2026 and moving into vehicles in 2027.
Nov 23, 2025
Forbes reported that Ford uses AI across design, engineering, manufacturing and customer support, including FordLLM for employees and an AI model that cuts aerodynamic simulations from about 15 hours to about 10 seconds.
Quick answers
- How does Ford Motor Company deploy AI?
- Ford Motor Company deploys AI mostly through customer products: an assistant in the Ford and Lincoln apps, hosted on Google Cloud and opening in waves from Aug 2026 to about 8 million eligible owners, and Ford Pro AI for fleet customers in the U.S., Europe and Canada. Ford staff use FordLLM, an internal platform, alongside Microsoft Copilot, Google Gemini and Anthropic tools. Ford named Mano Mannoochahr Chief AI and Data Officer in Aug 2026 and has published no staff usage or dollar return for AI.
- What does Ford Motor Company use AI for?
- Ford Motor Company has not published a count of its AI use cases. The ones on the record are an AI assistant in the Ford and Lincoln apps (Aug 2026), Ford Pro AI for fleet telematics customers (Mar 2026), 900 AI-powered cameras that check quality in Ford plants (Oct 2025), AI guidance for dealer technicians (Sep 2026), AI tools in sales and operating planning (Oct 2026), FordLLM and vendor AI tools for staff, AI in design and engineering simulation, and automated driving at Latitude AI. Ford Motor Company has reported no business return credited to AI for any of them; CFO Sherry House said in Oct 2026 that the planning tools lead to real savings without giving a figure.
- Who leads AI at Ford Motor Company?
- AI at Ford Motor Company is led by Mano Mannoochahr (Chief AI and Data Officer (named Aug 2026)); Michael Amend (Chief Enterprise Technology Officer); Mike Aragon (President, Ford Integrated Services). Ownership of AI on the org chart: Chief AI and Data Officer Mano Mannoochahr (Aug 2026); Enterprise Technology under Michael Amend runs staff AI tools.
- What AI platform does Ford Motor Company use?
- FordLLM is Ford's internal AI platform for employees (Forbes, Nov 2025), and Ford's Enterprise Technology group also administers Microsoft Copilot, Google Gemini and Anthropic tools and the AI agents built on them (job posting, 2026).
- Which AI models does Ford Motor Company use?
- Ford's app assistant runs on off-the-shelf large language models hosted on Google Cloud (Jan 2026), Ford Pro AI is built on Google Cloud with several AI agents (Mar 2026), and Ford's engineers run AI on a few thousand of Ford's own Nvidia GPUs (Mar 2025).
- How many Ford employees use AI?
- The Ford AI assistant is opening in waves from Aug 2026 to about 8 million eligible Ford and Lincoln app customers, with in-vehicle versions due by 2027; Ford has not said how many of its about 169,000 employees use AI tools.
- How far has AI spread at Ford Motor Company?
- Ford Motor Company sits at Piloting: FordLLM and enterprise AI tools from Microsoft, Google and Anthropic are sanctioned for staff, and a handful of AI products run in production, chiefly the Ford and Lincoln app assistant, Ford Pro AI, about 900 AI cameras checking quality in Ford plants and AI tools in sales and operating planning. Ford Motor Company falls short of Scaling because it has not disclosed how many employees use AI or how many AI use cases run in production, and its Chief AI and Data Officer, named in Aug 2026, has not yet reported results.
Open questions
- How many Ford employees use FordLLM and the Microsoft Copilot, Google Gemini and Anthropic tools, how often, and how many have been trained in AI?
- Where does Chief AI and Data Officer Mano Mannoochahr report, and how does the role divide work with Enterprise Technology and the AI team Bryan Goodman was reported to lead?
- Which models power the Ford AI Assistant and Ford Pro AI, and how many customers have used each?
- What does Ford spend on AI models, cloud inference, GPUs and AI licenses, and does the six-year Google Cloud partnership signed in 2021 continue past 2027?
- How much do the AI tools in sales and operating planning save, given that Sherry House described real savings without a figure?
- What business return do Ford's deployed AI tools deliver, from the app assistant and Ford Pro AI to plant quality cameras, technician guidance, design simulation and customer-facing agents?
- Which automated quality systems and AI tools fell short in engineering, and how have the rehired engineers changed them?
- Who leads Latitude AI after the Apr 2026 reorganization, and how many people work on automated driving and machine learning at Ford?
Sources
Ford Motor Company
- Mike Aragon: Meet the AI Assistant That Knows Your Vehicle Better Than You Do (Jan 7, 2026)
- Mike Aragon: the Ford and Lincoln AI Assistant opens for questions (Aug 10, 2026)
- Brian Girer: Meet Ford Pro AI (Mar 10, 2026)
- Ford Pro AI launches in Europe (Jul 15, 2026)
- Brian Girer: Ford Pro AI now available in Canada (Aug 24, 2026)
- Doug Field: Ford's vision for smart tech at CES 2026 (Jan 8, 2026)
- Paul Costa: Ford builds the vehicle brain in-house (Jan 8, 2026)
- Ford establishes Latitude AI (Mar 2, 2023)
- Latitude AI
- Ford Trends 2024: AI Wary
- Ford Media Center: Mike Amend
- Ford Media Center: Sammy Omari
- Ford Careers: technology jobs
Filings, letters and investor materials
- Ford 2025 Form 10-K (filed Feb 11, 2026)
- Ford 2026 proxy statement (Mar 27, 2026)
- Ford 8-K on Doug Field's departure (Apr 15, 2026)
- Ford release: new Product Creation and Industrialization organization (Apr 15, 2026)
- Q3 2026 earnings call transcript (Oct 28, 2026)
- Q2 2026 earnings call transcript (Jul 28, 2026)
- Q1 2026 earnings call transcript (Apr 29, 2026)
- Q1 2026 earnings presentation (Apr 29, 2026)
- Q4 2025 earnings press release (Feb 10, 2026)
- Q3 2025 earnings call transcript (Oct 23, 2025)
Partners and job postings
News
- Fortune: Jim Farley on AI as a companion for blue-collar work (Sep 30, 2026)
- CBT News: Ford names new Chief AI and Data Officer (Aug 12, 2026)
- CDO Magazine: Ford names Mano Mannoochahr Chief AI and Data Officer (Aug 11, 2026)
- FOX 2 Detroit: Ford hires engineers back after AI challenges (Jul 1, 2026)
- TechCrunch: Ford rehires gray beard engineers after AI falls short (Jun 28, 2026)
- Bloomberg: Ford's AI hiccups lead carmaker to rehire gray beard engineers (Jun 25, 2026)
- TechCrunch: Ford EV and tech chief leaving automaker (Apr 15, 2026)
- CIO Dive: Home Depot hires Ford's AI chief as CTO (Apr 1, 2026)
- TechCrunch: Ford's new AI assistant will help fleet owners (Mar 11, 2026)
- TechCrunch: Drivers in fatal Ford BlueCruise crashes were likely distracted (Mar 11, 2026)
- TechCrunch: Ford has an AI assistant and new hands-free BlueCruise tech on the way (Jan 7, 2026)
- Forbes: How Ford is embracing AI to drive innovation (Nov 23, 2025)
- BASE International: summary of the Forbes report on Ford's AI (Nov 24, 2025)
- Fortune: Jim Farley on AI and white-collar jobs (Jul 5, 2025)
- HPCwire: People to Watch 2025, Bryan Goodman
- Ford Authority: Ford using DeepSeek AI, Nvidia GPUs to speed up development (Mar 2025)
- Ford Authority: Ford has mostly switched over to cloud computing (Mar 2025)
- Analytics India Magazine: Ford Business Solutions expands in India (Feb 28, 2025)
Data confidence
- Confirmed
- Stated in a primary or reputable public source.
- Estimated
- Derived or approximated from public reporting.
- Unconfirmed
- Reported, but not yet corroborated.
Ford Motor Company profile · Enterprise AI diffusion report by Imagine · facts checked against their sources on Nov 1, 2026
