Ford to launch free AI assistant for 8 million owners

Ford will add an AI chatbot to its Ford and Lincoln mobile apps in the first half of 2026, rolling out to 8 million owners in waves. Free, with no subscription. Linked to each vehicle, it answers manual questions, surfaces live telemetry, and assesses payload from photos. An in-car voice version follows in 2027. Worth flagging: Ford is bucking the auto industry's shift toward paid connected services.