Uh Oh: Hertz’s New AI Technology Detects Vehicle Damage

I’m not sure whether this is good news or bad news. Given that we’re talking about something involving Hertz, it’s probably bad news (thanks to View from the Wing for flagging this).

Hertz partners with UVeye to document vehicle condition

One of the potentially frustrating aspects of renting a car involves the process of assessing a vehicle’s condition. Currently, the process of documenting vehicle damage at pick-up and drop-off is highly manual, and there’s no denying that some rental car companies get a bit aggressive with accusing customers of damaging cars. So that’s where Hertz’s new technology comes into play.

Hertz has announced that it’s partnering with UVeye to transform its “vehicle maintenance process.” UVeye is a company with AI-driven vehicle inspection systems.

The idea is that the UVeye system can carefully document the condition of vehicles both upon pick-up and drop-off, and easily determine if there’s any damage without it being a manual process. As you exit and enter the facility, you’ll drive through the UVeye system, which has a bunch of cameras, and you’ll be given a report about the vehicle’s condition.

This is also supposed to be about helping with general vehicle maintenance, though I suspect the primary reason Hertz is investing in this opportunity is because of the additional revenue opportunities.