Artificial intelligence has become popular in all types of industries, so why not the automotive industry? With the growing power and popularity of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), the car repair industry is in for a big change.

The advancements will prove helpful to various aspects of car service: diagnostic analysis, damage estimates, customer support, and enhancing predictive maintenance. Improving the car industry speeds up the process of repairs for everyone, car owners, technicians, and insurance companies. 

Bringing the Change From AI

Diagnostic Analysis

The use of databases of damage images, make models, and records of the car help train AI and ML tools that speed up the process of identifying occurred damage precisely that can be relayed to car mechanics, allowing them to make accurate decisions, and insurance agencies. The ease of use that these tools offer proves useful to users, as they just have to upload photos and videos of their cars. 

You were on your way to work and the car behind you rear-bumped you. There are a couple of scratches, but nothing major. Typically, you would drive to a body shop to get an estimate for your repair, which could take more than an hour. But, with AI tools, this step could take a couple of seconds with just simple images of the damage. AI uses ML and computer vision to access the damage and gives you an estimate that you could provide to your insurance companies.

The speed, precision, and ease of use of AI tools ensure that users will have a satisfying and efficient experience. 

Customer Support

Most of us have had long, tiresome customer support experiences that can be annoying when you just need a question answered. AI chatbots have reformed this experience in car services. They provide speedy answers to questions you have about your car without the long wait times. Chatbots provide tailored assistance based on you: your repair record and vehicle data. With these chatbots, customers have had an improved tailored experience and saved ample time that they could’ve lost without the use of AI chatbots. 

Technician Support

With virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) getting popularized with big companies such as Apple and Meta taking a kick at it, how can these tools be used with technicians? Well, it can completely revolutionize the experience of maintenance. Having on-hand tools such as repair manuals, troubleshooting guides, and instructions through VR and AR speeds up the time it takes to repair cars and get them back to their long-awaited owners. These tools also minimize the errors of maintenance and provide AI experience to all technicians. 

Predictive Maintenance

Breakdowns are common with every car, but what if it wasn’t? AI and ML algorithms can predict what parts will break down and when they should be repaired with information from the car owner’s telematics, which monitors driving habits and mileage. The power of predictive maintenance can stretch your car’s lifespan, preventing random part failures, and optimizing the speed at which car repairs will take. With The Right to Repair Act, car manufacturers are required to share vehicle data collected via telematics with repair shops. This allows AI predictive maintenance tools to have more vehicle data to work with to create a precise list of parts that the vehicle needs repair.  With AI predictive maintenance, this can save time and money for car owners as they can replace parts that are expected to fail soon without paying a ton as they would when it breaks fully. The capabilities of AI and ML algorithms, alongside the Rights to Repair Act, predictive maintenance are going mainstream, maximizing vehicles' lifespans and minimizing unexpected breakdowns.

Final Thoughts 

With all the change that AI and ML can bring to the car repair industry is astronomical and can save hours on end for car owners, insurance agencies, and technicians with precise information, there will be new jobs in the wake of artificial intelligence and machine learning. From predicting when parts will malfunction to giving technicians the power to bring troubleshooting guides with a swipe of a hand, the impact artificial intelligence has on car service will continue to grow alongside AI.