How AI can help the aftermarket’s data challenge

A lack of good data is hurting the automotive aftermarket. But artificial intelligence can help the industry in this area.

Industries like healthcare have rich datasets, noted Tilak Kasturi, founder and CEO of Predii, an AI solutions provider for the aftermarket. This industry isn’t in the same spot.

“In the automotive world, it’s much more complex. We don’t have that rich dataset. But there’s a good opportunity for bringing in the data ecosystem, and in a way that would benefit the organization,” he said at last fall’s  MEMA Aftermarket Suppliers Aftermarket Technology Conference.

Complicating things is how much learning AI can do when you’re broaching intellectual property concerns as well as data privacy, noted David Brondstetter, CEO of SureCritic, a reputation management platform that caters to the aftermarket.

“What are the boundaries of the protective nature with only for copyright purposes, but also your own competitive-related information?” Kasturi asked during the session, ChatGPT & AI Applications for the Aftermarket. “And that is pretty hard to grasp. But maybe there are some datasets that are shareable, that would benefit all of the vendors.”

Scott Brown, industry ambassador with Diagnostic Network, sees a big opportunity for the service information companies. Sometimes when a service technician is tasked with solving a problem, they have to go to six different points within the service information system to collect specific bits of data needed to address the vehicle properly.

“Why not use the AI to help understand the problem that the technician has … and it brings that information to him so that they’re more efficient?” he said.

Brondstetter noted that he’d like to see the cream rise to the top in this area and have several companies offer AI services to the aftermarket rather than one large conglomerate. With a smaller, tighter-knit community of service information providers, he sees greater opportunities for innovation as they compete with each other.

“A big, large conglomerate, in my opinion, probably would be a negative for the industry overall because of the lack of innovation that it might house,” he warmed.