Artificial intelligence (AI) will be at the 2025 SEMA Show, Nov. 4-7 in Las Vegas, but you might have to hunt and peck to pick it. Which makes a sort-of sense, considering the technology is meant to underlie and bolster collision repair work, not — whatever one might hear — replace it.
Some of the show’s development and planning included AI elements, and the floor again offers its FutureTech Studio, but the booths seem to be being snagged by a favored few — AI-oriented operations like ADAS outsourcer Kinetic Automation, already with a foothold in the market, and newer players such as Sparq Diagnostics and OktoRocket.
Tom Gattuso, SEMA VP of events and head honcho of the show, in an interview noted the AI-fueled chatbot, available on both the website and the app, that last year fielded some 8,000 inquiries: “How do you get to…” or “What do I need to get a featured vehicle in the…”
David Speicher, SEMA’s chief technology officer, through a spokesperson via email, called AI “our newest teammate.”
“We’re leaning into the possibilities of artificial intelligence with curiosity, intention and caution,” Speicher said, itself a cautious and intentional take on the topic.
It Only Takes a Spark to Send Up a Rocket
Kinetic is aptly named for its work, building local hubs to do ADAS work for collision center clients Chilton’s Auto Body, Fix Auto, Young Automotive Group and others — not to say for all the ceaseless movement SEMA attendees undertake.
Meanwhile Sparq, much unlike Kinetic, is a consumer app-and-hardware set-up that reads repair codes, with additional applicability for body shops, though somewhat limited in its early iteration. The start-up is currently raising seed money, cofounded by Codrin Cobzaru and Daniel Nieh.
SPARQ co-founders Daniel Nieh, left, and Codrin Cobzaru, right.
The notion is to read onboard diagnostic codes and connect drivers with local repair shops, based for now on external reviews: Google, Yelp and vehicle-specific operations. Sparq built its own estimatics, Cobzaru said, and as other companies are, “We’re working towards having our own reviews” in the app, by its users.
“We’re bridging the communication gap,” he said, connecting the need with the shop, which is where an early and obvious benefit for collision repair could come in: being among those shops. It could be that higher complexity, such as ADAS, or vehicle damage, possible elective or self-pay, needs to get fixed.
“Detecting the issue, focusing on diagnostics,” said Cobzaru, whose booth is in the FutureTech Studio in Central Hall Booth #24401. “It’s in its infancy; the only way to craft solutions is to have people go first.”
Gattuso calls out Sparq as “another company approaching AI” offering quickly computed information on some problem, with ways to fix it. He also cites OktoRocket, focused on AI-backed communication: “Voiceover IP, SMS tools, call recording, analysis, to help make a shop more efficient with their time.”
These ideas — speedy, actionable information, efficiency — seem to unite the earliest operators talking AI to shops.
“Go from getting data, to what’s happening, to connecting with your goals, to saying what you can do,” Gattuso said.
Little by Little
Call the SEMA Show AI crawl “automotion for automation.”
It’s not just “slow and steady wins the race.” Slow and steady is a thoughtful approach to AI period, and not only for collision repair: it mirrors what such companies are doing at the SEMA Show.
A keyword search for “AI” on the show’s floor plan turns up all sorts of products, including cleaning supplies and air compressors; a search for “artificial intelligence” returns Tractable AI, which is a definite stop, if you’re seeking pre-estimate and assessment tools. There’s no specific “product category” for either of the two terms. A search for “AI” under the “exhibitor name” gives up a half-dozen options.
This reflects the market: a few players making a name while making some waves; standard operations buffered by AI in their product or service; and several start-ups, most of which you’ll find walking the floor.
Keep this booth number crib sheet bookmarked for your trekking:
North Hall — Tractable #11923, OktoRocket #11381, Sparq #10969, Kinetic #12171, AI Service Advisor #11473, Epilog AI #10769, Mech AI #11366
South Hall Upper — 1SourceADAS #38229, CCC #31195
A couple companies gave no or little information in their entry but most will be glad to see you at the show. All seem to make the case Speicher does for AI overall.
“[W]e see AI as a powerful tool to amplify the value we deliver to our members,” Speicher said. “We’re not chasing trends — we’re building momentum and embracing this technology by treading lightly and broadly.”
Paul Hughes