Software-defined vehicles are either the second coming or the beginning of the apocalypse, depending on who you ask, but Ford’s recent patent might tilt the scale toward the negative end of that spectrum for many people. The automaker filed a patent application for a system that could pipe ads into your vehicle’s stereo, and other “features” include a way to determine how many and what types of ads to broadcast.
Ford filed the application early in 2023, but it was only recently published. Judging from the invasiveness that a system like this could bring, The Blue Oval may wish it’d never seen the light of day. The system uses GPS and location data, as well as the vehicle’s speed and other information, to create location- and user-targeted ads. Frighteningly, it listens to the vehicle’s cabin noise levels, such as monitoring for breaks in passengers’ conversations, to determine when and how to present the ad.
Diving deeper into creepy territory, Ford’s ad system changes its delivery based on users’ reactions. If it detects that the person reacts negatively by voicing their annoyance or canceling the ad on the touchscreen, it can adapt to show different ads or change the frequency and volume. It will also shift the number of ads based on where and how the vehicle is being used, such as during intense off-road sessions.
Patent applications can mean many things, but they are not a guarantee that a company will follow through on an idea. Ford acknowledged that it may see some pushback, saying that “Such systems and methods further provide the opposite force to a user’s natural inclination to seek minimal or no ads.” It’s also hard to imagine that anyone would be ok hearing advertisements in a vehicle that they paid tens of thousands of dollars for and that is viewed by many as a sanctuary away from home.
