Voice Assistant Misidentifies Child in Car Seat, Triggers Seat Adjustment
The Xiaoyi voice assistant in a Wenjie M9 vehicle reportedly misidentified a child in a passenger seat and triggered seat adjustment controls, nearly injuring the child. The incident raised questions about the vehicle's pinch-protection safety features.
What happened
A video circulating online in early May 2026 showed a Wenjie M9 vehicle's voice assistant responding to a command to open the passenger seat, and the seat then adjusted with a child in or near it.
According to reports, the voice assistant incorrectly interpreted sounds or commands as a seat control instruction while a child was positioned in the seat, causing the seat to move.
Reported impact
The incident raised public concern about potential injury to the child from the seat adjustment mechanism.
Online discussion focused on whether the vehicle's anti-pinch safety protection system functioned correctly during the incident.
Index analysis
The malfunction appeared to stem from the voice recognition system failing to correctly distinguish between background noise or speech and actual seat control commands.
Some sources indicated the voice assistant may have misidentified normal conversation as a deliberate voice command.
Governance controls
Following the incident, users conducted informal tests to verify whether the Wenjie M9 possessed anti-pinch protection features on the passenger seat.
The incident prompted discussion about whether manufacturers should improve voice command confirmation protocols or enhance physical safety features on adjustable vehicle seats.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.