Robert Ter Waarbeek, principal automotive industry manager EMEA at MathWorks, explains how engineers can advance automotive development with AI-enabled model-based design
Automotive development is evolving as software-defined vehicle programs introduce faster feature cycles and more complex system interactions while meeting strict requirements for safety, reliability and long-term maintainability. Gen AI is now part of engineering workflows. It can help increase development speed, but its non-deterministic behavior, lack of physics awareness and limited traceability make it difficult to apply directly to safety-critical systems. These characteristics make verification, certification and traceability challenging when outputs generated by Gen AI are introduced without constraints.
Model-based design addresses these issues through deterministic execution, executable specifications and physics-based simulation. MathWorks is bringing these strengths together by integrating Gen AI assistance directly into model-based design tooling, enabling engineers to benefit from accelerated workflows while preserving the rigor required for long-term reliability and certification of automotive software.
Simulation as the foundation of trust
Simulation is the foundation of trust in engineering workflows assisted by Gen AI. It provides a controlled environment where system behavior can be verified early and repeatedly. Model‑based design enables closed‑loop simulation within continuous development pipelines, enabling Gen AI‑assisted artifacts to be validated continuously in virtual environments long before software reaches hardware. Closed-loop simulation uncovers defects that emerge only from real‑time interaction between software, hardware and physical dynamics, such as instability, timing issues, saturation and integration errors. Unlike regular software tests that validate code logic in isolation, simulation validates system behavior against requirements under realistic operating conditions, catching safety‑ and performance‑critical issues much earlier.
In leading organizations, ‘shift left’ is not a one-time activity; virtual verification is embedded directly into continuous integration/continuous development (CI/CD) pipelines. Every change triggers automated builds and simulation runs, exercising models against representative scenarios and acceptance criteria. Verification becomes continuous, not episodic.
Scalable development for evolving E/E architectures
Automotive E/E architectures are transitioning from ECU-centric networks to zonal and centralized computing platforms. Software is no longer bound to specific hardware configurations but must now operate reliably across heterogeneous compute targets while remaining portable and scalable, from small controllers to high-performance vehicle computers.
Model-based design supports this requirement by separating system behavior and software intent from hardware implementation. Engineers develop executable models that serve as stable sources of truth. The models can generate production-ready code for a wide range of processors and operating systems, including platforms incorporating AI inference engines and hardware accelerators such as GPUs, DSPs and NPUs. This approach enables the development and validation of AI-enabled functions (e.g. virtual sensors) at the system level, reduces the need to reengineer algorithms for each target, and improves efficiency and consistency across platforms.
Improving collaboration through model-based design
Engineering organizations must transform their collaboration models to keep pace with increased complexity. Integrating simulation, virtualization and automated verification directly into CI/CD workflows supports rapid iteration across software, AI models and hardware acceleration strategies. This model-centric approach helps organizations operate more quickly while preserving robustness, safety and long-term maintainability in the era of software-defined and AI-driven vehicles.
Integrating AI into deterministic engineering workflows
AI is most effective in automotive development when embedded within a deterministic modeling framework. Within model-based design tools, GenAI-generated content is automatically tied to established interfaces, data definitions and architectural constraints. Model Context Protocol (MCP) capabilities empower engineers with AI assistance while preserving the rigor, repeatability and certification readiness.
Long-term maintainability and certification readiness require deterministic behavior, transparent audit trails and verification evidence that accumulates throughout the lifecycle. Model-based design naturally supports these goals by linking requirements, models, test suites and generated code. Continuous simulation produces verification data throughout development rather than only at the end of a program. When artifacts generated by Gen AI follow the same workflows, they inherit this structure. This ensures that productivity gains do not come at the cost of safety, quality or compliance, and that Gen AI can be adopted at scale.
Conclusion
Gen AI and model-based design offer a structured path to accelerate automotive software development while maintaining trust, safety and engineering rigor. Model-based design provides determinism, physics-based validation and traceability. Gen AI adds efficiency and supports faster iteration when integrated within these boundaries.
This combination enables earlier insight into system behavior and deployment across diverse hardware architectures. The model-centric approach ensures consistent collaboration across engineering teams, and promotes reuse and consistency across global programs. Gen AI-enabled model-based design provides a scalable and reliable foundation for developing robust and certifiable automotive systems.
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