Data sharing within Stellantis and among its partners is thus extremely sensitive and a high priority. This heightens demand for data security, which covers the company’s own intellectual property, partner data, and information it gathers from the owners of its products. “Because our in-house AI teams and external partners need to collaborate closely to ensure a seamless integration, we establish very clear agreements for data sharing, intellectual property rights, and cybersecurity to protect everyone’s interests,” says Baqué.

Finding workers with the right skills and successfully transitioning current employees to new ways of working are big challenges for any business working with AI—much less one operating at the scale and complexity of a major automaker. “When you need to adopt new methodologies, you always find pushback from some employees,” she says, adding that some employees have been hesitant to work with AI. “So, we are continuously communicating clearly the benefits of AI adoption and investing in different comprehensive training programs to equip employees with the skills to work alongside artificial intelligence systems,” she says.

Baqué acknowledges that companywide AI transformation will take time. "We still have a long way to go because there are many initiatives, like autonomous driving, that are not in place,” she says. “But we are working very hard to get there."