When dealers, lenders, mobility platforms and technology firms gathered in Singapore for AIMCONNECT 2026, one point kept coming up.
The way people buy, fund and use cars is changing faster than the businesses that serve them.
Hosted by X Star Technology and Aimotion under the theme “Where Mobility Meets the Future,” the forum gave industry leaders a shared space to look at those changes and at the role AI should play in responding to them.
Here are four key takeaways from the day.
Flexibility is reshaping how people use cars
For decades, anyone who could afford a car bought one and drove it everywhere. That assumption no longer holds.
Matthew Duncan, Director and CEO of JWT Bespoke, said buying a car remains an emotional decision for most people.
What has shifted is that ownership now must earn its place. In his words, it has become “a choice that has to be won each time.”
Federico Chester, Head of Latin America Business Development at Uber, sees the private car as one option among several.
Families, long-distance drivers, people carrying goods and those living with limited transport links will keep relying on their own vehicle.
Many others now switch between driving, public transport, walking, cycling, and on-demand rides depending on the trip.
“Mobility is increasingly about having the flexibility to choose the right option for each trip,”
said Chester.
On-demand services add value by sitting alongside the private car and covering the occasions when driving is less convenient.
Digital habits are raising the bar in the showroom
Habits formed in ride-hailing apps follow customers into the showroom.
Duncan pointed out that a buyer who sees an exact fare before every ride all week will find a rough drive-away estimate at the dealership hard to accept.
The frustration comes from the inconsistent experience more than the price itself.
That gap shows up in loyalty. Duncan believes buyers still reward brands, though they increasingly reward whoever makes buying easiest.
With sales teams speaking to a customer once every few years, and finance, aftersales and trade-ins making up a larger share of the margin, a difficult purchase can cost a dealer far more than one sale.
Chester encouraged carmakers and dealers to offer more choice and flexibility.
“Consumers increasingly expect services to adapt to their needs, with simple, convenient and personalized experiences,”
he said.
AI and people each have a clear role to play
Speakers agreed that a smoother journey still needs people in it.
Duncan advised businesses to map where humans add something a system cannot, such as the test drive, the handover, the service relationship and the sales conversation.
“A good salesperson’s real job is helping a customer rationally justify a decision they have already made emotionally,” he said.
Repetitive tasks that need speed and consistency are a better fit for AI agents.
Finding and pricing a car or running finance calculations fall into this group.
Duncan added caution: these tools are only as good as the data behind them. “If the underlying data is contradictory, adding an AI agent on top just produces wrong answers faster.”
Zhang Peng, CEO of automotive finance company MStar, described a similar split in lending.
AI can check documents, spot inconsistencies and fraud patterns, pre-fill applications with customer permission, and flag repayment risk earlier.
People must stay involved in final declines, exceptions, fraud escalations, hardship cases, and complaints.
Affordability is about the full cost of owning a car
Zhang used Mexico as an example of a market where demand for cars is there, and the real barrier is access to suitable financing.
“People there need mobility for work, family, and opportunity,” he said. What they often lack is credit that is transparent, responsibly underwritten, and built around how they earn.
For Zhang, affordability goes beyond a smaller monthly instalment.
Lenders need to weigh down payment, interest, insurance and maintenance against how stable a borrower’s income is. A quick, clear decision builds trust with buyers and dealers alike.
Sound judgement, flexibility and solid after-sales support are what keeps a loan healthy over its full term.
Looking ahead
The discussions at AIMCONNECT 2026 highlight a shift toward a more connected automotive industry.
Businesses that embrace this change by offering buyers greater choice, providing upfront transparency on total vehicle costs, and creating a seamless experience across dealers, lenders, and mobility platforms will be best positioned for success.
AIMCONNECT plans to keep these groups talking and working together.
Its focus is on putting AI to work on fast, repetitive tasks such as pricing, finance calculations and fraud checks, so people can spend more time on the decisions and relationships that matter most to customers.
Visit the official event website for more information about AIMCONNECT 2026.
