If youve stared blankly at your cars dashboard warning light, searching the internet for what it means, Ford has something for you. The company has officially begun rolling out an AI assistant today through its Ford and Lincoln apps.

As the automaker says, it is built specifically to answer real questions about your own vehicle.

　　So what can this assistant actually do?

Unlike a general chatbot, Fords AI assistant is tied directly to your specific vehicle. In other words, it can pull real-time data, like your current fuel level, oil life, or tire pressure, the moment you ask.

Recommended Videos You can even type a question or capture a photo of an error blinking on the dashboard or a flat tire(through your smartphone), and itll walk you through fixes for common annoyances. As I mentioned in the beginning, not everyone reads a cars manual while purchasing it or is aware of all the possible error lights on the dashboard.

More than anything, Fords AI assistant can help owners with day-to-day warning lights and troubleshooting, figuring out new features, and helping people understand their cars better.

　　How do you access it?

The AI assistant supports 2021 and newer connected Ford and Lincoln vehicles. To access it, you have to press the Blue Oval icon with a small spark next to it in the top corner of your Ford or Lincoln app. The automaker is rolling this out in waves rather than all at once, so theres a chance that you might not get access immediately.

Ford hasnt committed to one single AI model either. Vehicles running its Android-based infotainment system are still going to offer Googles Gemini as a separate option in the meantime.

All the use cases and the companys plans to integrate it within the dashboard aside, I am most interested to see whether the in-car version of the AI assistant stays free once it fully lands next year.