LAS VEGAS — Online car-leasing platform Rodo is looking to Google’s Bard for an AI-powered vehicle product.
Rather than focusing on maintenance-driven technology, Rodo is working on “forward thinking technologies,” Nathan Hecht, founder and chief executive at Rodo, said at Auto Finance Summit 2023 on Monday, noting, “For us, it’s always technology first and foremost.”
That’s where Google Bard’s AI-driven large language model comes in.
Specific details of the new Rodo product were not discussed, however, it is scheduled for release in the first quarter of 2024, Hecht said.
Rodo partners with more than 1,200 dealerships to offer leasing and financing options through its Rodo app and website presence.
According to Crunchbase, the platform has raised $44.6 million in funding from investors including Holman Growth Ventures and Evolution VC Partners.
Bard updates
Google continues to invest in and update Bard on an ongoing basis, according to the tech giant’s recent Q3 earnings report.
This month, Google announced a generative AI-powered assistant on Bard, collaborative tools available on Google Workspace and the ability to integrate Bard into Google apps and services, Google Chief Executive Sundar Pichai said during Google’s Q3 earnings call last week.
