** The study by Hume and a Fortune 100 automotive company found that drivers prefer voice assistants with personality and emotional intelligence over those focused solely on utility, resulting in a 79% increase in user engagement for the former. The collaboration explored how an AI that responds to users' emotions could create richer, more personalized driving experiences, ultimately concluding that emotional depth and memory are essential for voice AI in vehicles. Drivers valued the ability of the Empathic Voice Interface (EVI) to foster genuine connections, remember past conversations, and provide emotional support, leading to increased loyalty and a sense of companionship on the road.