Rivian announced on October 22 that it had acquired AI company Third Dimension AI to accelerate autonomous-driving development and validation. According to Sina Finance, Third Dimension AI uses real-world data to create high-fidelity, controllable 3D environments for simulating complex driving scenarios, including rare hazards; its co-founders are Tolga Kart and Piotr Sokolski. Rivian plans to integrate the platform into its autonomous-driving development system, and Third Dimension AI’s management and technical staff will join Rivian’s autonomous-driving research and engineering teams. The companies did not disclose the deal’s value or other financial terms.

Rivian also plans to launch an invitation-only Autonomy Early Access Program in December 2026 in California and Florida for selected owners of second-generation R1 and R2 vehicles. The program will test supervised point-to-point driving, and Rivian plans to use real-world driving data to evaluate and improve the system; the feature does not provide fully driverless capability. Rivian executive James Philbin said simulation is central to training and validating autonomous-driving systems and that the acquisition will accelerate development for consumer and Robotaxi applications. Third Dimension AI CEO Tolga Kart said joining Rivian would enable broader use of the company’s simulation platform.