In a rapidly evolving automotive industry, Honda Canada is steering confidently into the future with IBM’s cutting-edge AI technologies. At a recent fireside chat at Think Toronto, Jaldeep Pandya, AVP of IT Strategy at Honda Canada, joined IBM Senior Vice President Rob Thomas to share how AI is transforming the customer experience, dealer operations, and internal processes.

Honda Canada began its AI journey in 2018, leveraging IBM products to address real-world challenges. One standout example is the modernization of vehicle service histories.

Traditionally, customers kept stacks of paper records—a cumbersome process when moving between dealerships. “AI is helping us make information frictionless,” said Jaldeep. Using AI models, Honda Canada now centralizes and simplifies access to service data, providing customers and dealers with instant, actionable insights. This innovation not only enhances customer experience but also informs product development and service marketing.

The collaboration between Honda and IBM spans structured data governance, generative AI for unstructured data, and the creation of AI agents to automate workflows. Honda Canada has established a regional AI Center of Excellence serving Canada, the U.S., and Mexico, signaling the company’s leadership in applied AI across North America. Trust and transparency are central to this transformation. With IBM watsonx.gov, Honda can monitor AI performance from development through deployment, ensuring stakeholders have confidence in the technology’s outputs. “Transparency and accountability are key to building trust,” Jaldeep emphasized. This governance-first approach has helped secure buy-in from customers, dealers, and internal teams alike.

The partnership is a true co-creation model. By leveraging IBM’s consulting expertise and technology stack, Honda delivered solutions at remarkable speed—going live in four months instead of the planned eleven. “It’s about bringing the right skills, technology, and business insight together,” Jaldeep noted.

Looking ahead, he envisions moving beyond augmentation into an era of “distributed cognition,” where humans and AI work together seamlessly to think, decide, and act. “We’re not working alone—we’re thinking together,” he concluded.

As Rob noted, the race for AI leadership is on, and Honda Canada is proving that with intentional strategy, strong partnerships, and applied AI, companies can achieve both innovation and operational excellence.