Aidan Gomez, co-founder and CEO of Cohere, a generative AI startup, has joined the board of electric vehicle manufacturer Rivian, as revealed in a recent regulatory filing. This appointment signals Rivian’s commitment to leveraging AI technology within its business strategy and enhancing its position as a software leader in the automotive sector. The board has been expanded to include Gomez, whose term is set to expire in 2026.
Gomez boasts a rich background as a data scientist and AI specialist. He established Cohere in 2019 alongside co-founders Nick Frosst and Ivan Zhang, focusing on developing AI foundation models for enterprise applications. The startup has successfully served major companies such as Oracle and Notion.
Before founding Cohere, Gomez was associated with Google Brain, the deep learning division at Google led by Nobel Prize laureate Geoffrey Hinton. Notably, he co-authored the influential 2017 paper “Attention Is All You Need,” which has become a cornerstone for many advanced generative AI models. Gomez’s expertise is particularly valuable to Rivian as the company embarks on a new joint venture with Volkswagen Group, worth approximately $5.8 billion, aimed at developing software.
This collaboration will allow Rivian to share its electrical architecture expertise with Volkswagen’s various brands and potentially license technology to other firms in the future. Additionally, Rivian has been exploring the development of an AI assistant for its vehicles, a project separate from the Volkswagen joint venture. Rivian’s chief software officer, Wassym Bensaid, confirmed the ongoing work on this AI initiative, emphasizing its strategic importance.
Gomez’s capabilities in AI and data science are expected to significantly benefit Rivian’s integration of cutting-edge technologies, as highlighted by Rivian’s founder and CEO, RJ Scaringe.