CEO Jim Farley has some strong thoughts on Apple's CarPlay Ultra

Ford CEO Jim Farley is known for being particularly candid, even if his statements expose shortcomings in the Blue Oval’s operations. In 2022, he said Ford’s quality issues would take “years” to rectify—and he was right, based on Ford’s recall history this year alone.

In a new interview with Decoder about in-car tech, Farley again didn’t sugarcoat his words when speaking about CarPlay Ultra, Apple’s ultimate version of CarPlay integration. Farley’s statements give us more insight into how the tech in future Fords is likely to develop, and he also mentioned one feature he believes every car should have.

Related: Apple’s Big CarPlay Upgrade Is Already Being Rejected by Major Automakers

Don’t Expect CarPlay Ultra In Your Ford

CarPlay Ultra launched earlier this year, and initially, it seemed like it was destined to make its way into many automakers’ cars. Regular CarPlay is already a must-have feature for many, and Ultra takes over even more of the dashboard displays with a deeper integration between the car and an Apple user’s iPhone.

Aston Martin became one of the first automakers to integrate CarPlay Ultra, but many other manufacturers have rejected the tech. These include Audi and Renault, with one of the reasons being that automakers don’t want to relinquish complete control over their software. Based on Farley’s statements, Ford is in the same camp.

Farley said that Ford doesn’t like the execution of CarPlay Ultra in its current form. He is still committed to working with Apple, but CarPlay Ultra goes a step too far. Its deeper integration and takeover of multiple in-car displays aren’t necessarily beneficial for Apple and Android users alike, and the setup can also interfere with various driver-assistance technologies.

"We don't like Ultra's early executions, but we are very committed to Apple," he said. "However, I think Apple should make a big decision... do they want to control the entire experience in the vehicle? If Apple wants to do that, I think we're going to have a hard time," he continued. "Because the digital experience is going to be very complicated, and we have to decide between Google and Apple."

Bottom line: Don’t expect CarPlay Ultra in your F-150 or Mustang anytime soon.

Farley Thinks Every Car Should Have An AI Assistant

In the same discussion, Farley said “every customer should have an AI assistant in the car,” believing a companion-like assistant is an essential feature. Ford already offers a voice assistant via Google, Alexa, or Siri, whereby drivers can execute tasks like playing music or calling friends via voice. Farley seems to suggest a more advanced AI assistant is on the way, though.

Last year, Ford patented a voice assistant with a configurable personality. This digital assistant would have a much more personable nature than the generally robotic AI assistants available right now.

Final Thoughts

Regardless of where the next generation of in-car tech goes, we hope that automakers consider ease of use for the driver above all else. Rather than hastily transition to CarPlay Ultra, we’d rather see automakers take a more cautious approach, which most appear to be doing. 

For now, the standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto systems we know appear to be the best solution for customers and automakers alike. For Ford, it looks like a more advanced AI assistant is on the way, but this will hopefully be a function that can be used as an alternative to conventional controls.