[petra]

First, Apple's historic design advantage is probably gone - since the competition has greatly improved. For example, the watch didn't offer something significantly different(10x) than other smartwatches.

But i can see your second point being true, maybe full-autonomy will take a long time. So even if Apple will design a great interface, it would probably be copied by competitors fast enough, unless there's some big barrier to copying that interface like the phone had in apps. What could that barrier possibly be ?

The only exception i can think of:

The addition of radio for most cars was an important invention.

So let's go wild - what if Apple succeeds in making siri a true AI, with a great personality, someone you'd have great fun driving with, everyday to work ?

[abalone]

No, think the fundamental cockpit driving control interface. Not just the entertainment system (although that will be a nice synergistic element).

Btw I agree about the watch, but it's also early days. The iPod might not have seemed as radical an improvement on other MP3 players either, at first. In retrospect the details made the difference between the product category working for people and not, and blew the category wide open.

[petra]

OK, let's talk about interface. The major problem such interface has to solve - is how keep the driver aware enough of the road at times he needs to(legally, at all times) , while making it more FUN for him than regular driving, otherwise, why bother ?

That's why i believe entertainment in some form, is critical.

So maybe that siri personality is also built in such a way to enable all-time awareness by the driver, effortlessly ?

Or another option: maybe they use some kind of brain monitoring machine like eeg, and together with music put you in some kind of meditative state fit for driving, yet very enjoyable ? but doing so in a subtle way ?

[abalone]

10X safer and/or less stressful would be more than sufficient to revolutionize cars. I think the notion that the only thing you can improve on is fun/entertainment is kind of stuck in traditional car thinking. Making cars safer and more convenient via autopilot features is where you get a 10X leap.

I doubt there will be anything like a "meditative state" -- that's dangerous. On the contrary a goal of the UI would be to keep the driver highly engaged with the vehicle computer at all times.

[Eerie]

>So let's go wild - what if Apple succeeds in making siri a true AI, with a great personality

With human rights?