Ford patents AI system to eavesdrop on in-car conversations for targeted ads
Ford has patented an AI system for in-car advertising that would listen to passenger conversations and parse them for keywords to serve targeted ads based on predicted destinations. Privacy experts warned the technology would be difficult to deploy legally in Europe and raised concerns about consent from occasional passengers, though Ford stated the patent application does not indicate actual business plans.
What happened
Ford has filed a US patent for an in-vehicle advertisement system that would eavesdrop on conversations between occupants to serve hyper-targeted advertising. The system would parse conversations for keywords or phrases to infer destinations and tailor advertisements based on predicted locations and historical third-party data.
Reported impact
Privacy experts and advocates warned the technology raises serious concerns. A cyber security researcher noted that designing such a system with privacy in mind would be complex, while a privacy campaigner stated the system would require consent from all occupants under UK law, which would be difficult to obtain in practice from occasional passengers.
Index analysis
Ford stated that submitting patent applications is a normal part of business to protect new ideas and build intellectual property portfolios. The company said the patent application should not be viewed as an indication of business or product plans, and the innovation may never be turned into a product.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.