Olga Khryapchenkova of NIO on emotional AI, safety-first design, and building culturally aware in-cabin assistants.
As automotive AI grows more expressive, the challenge is no longer whether in-cabin assistants can feel human—but how far they should go. In this conversation, Olga Khryapchenkova, Lead Product Manager for AI at NIO, explores the delicate balance between emotional connection and safety in a high-stakes environment. From designing culturally adaptive voice interactions to ensuring new AI features are discoverable, Khryapchenkova offers a clear-eyed view of what responsible, user-centered AI looks like inside the vehicle. Her perspective is grounded, pragmatic, and notably free of hype—focused less on futuristic promises and more on building AI that drivers can trust.
Excerpts from the interview;
As NIO gives its AI a “face,” how do you balance emotional connection with the risk of false intimacy in a safety-critical environment?
A visual presence creates a natural connection to both the product and the brand, which helps with perception and adoption. More importantly, it clarifies system states—when the assistant is listening, speaking, or processing—which directly supports efficiency and driver safety.
The balance lies in designing a warm, purposeful persona that enhances guidance and clarity, without drifting into emotional cues that could create unintended expectations or dependencies.
With AI now capable of tone, humor, and personality, how do you ensure cultural authenticity across markets rather than a one-size-fits-all persona?
It always starts with user research. You have to meet users where they are—listen to their pain points, collect feedback across channels, and combine those insights with strong market understanding before entering a new region. Cultural authenticity isn’t something you retrofit later; it’s something you validate early and continuously.
How do you build an emotionally aware voice assistant while meeting strict automotive demands around latency and safety?
True emotion detection isn’t on the table yet. What is feasible is strong context handling—smooth, multi-turn conversations within defined domains. That keeps interactions natural and even enjoyable while remaining efficient and compliant.
Latency is still a market-wide challenge, though progress is steady. And transparency is essential: users need clear controls and a clear understanding of what’s being captured and why.
GenAI doesn’t localize well out of the box. How do you approach multilingual, culturally adaptive voice interactions at scale?
Again, user research is central. You validate cultural nuances with real users and native speakers, remain agile, and are ready to adjust post-launch when issues surface. Over-the-air updates are invaluable here.
The principle is simple: open-minded, user-centered iteration at scale.
How do you ensure users discover and understand new AI features inside the vehicle?
Features that aren’t surfaced effectively quickly become dead features. Clear release notes are essential, and sometimes Q&A sessions or short explanatory videos help.
Equally important is collaboration. Product managers need to work closely not just with engineering, but with product marketing, go-to-market, and communications teams. Tracking adoption and engagement tells you whether the message is landing—and where it needs refinement.
How do you use user feedback to improve in-cabin AI features?
Feedback comes from multiple channels: the voice assistant itself, the companion app—within a closed-loop system—and surveys. Continuous feedback highlights friction points, while analytics reveal which features need better visibility.
That combination allows product and marketing teams to iterate quickly and communicate improvements in a way users actually notice.
Looking ahead to 2026, what excites you most about AI products?
Smarter base models, more refined AI user experiences, and richer multimodal interactions. That said, we’re still far from true productivity breakthroughs, and AGI remains a distant horizon.
There’s a lot of work ahead—which means we certainly won’t be bored in 2026.
