A driver in China crashed their vehicle after a voice command mistakenly disabled the car’s headlights while traveling on a highway at night. The incident involved a Lynk & Co Z20 electric crossover, where the driver reportedly intended to turn off the interior reading lights but instead triggered the deactivation of the vehicle’s exterior headlights.
Dashcam footage circulating on Chinese social media shows the vehicle veering off the roadway and striking a barrier shortly after the lights went out, according to The Drive. A Lynk & Co executive later acknowledged the malfunction and confirmed that an over-the-air software update was immediately deployed to prevent similar incidents.
Following the update, the headlights can no longer be switched off using voice commands and must be controlled manually. The condition of the occupants has not been formally disclosed, though they appeared responsive in footage recorded after the crash.
The case highlights growing safety concerns surrounding voice-controlled vehicle systems, particularly as automakers increasingly rely on artificial intelligence to interpret spoken instructions. While infotainment functions are typically considered safe to operate through voice commands, critical driving systems are usually restricted to manual controls to prevent unintended actions.
Reports indicate that drivers of other electric vehicles from Lynk & Co’s parent company, Zeekr, began testing their own systems after news of the crash spread. Some found that while direct commands to disable headlights were blocked, more ambiguous instructions involving “lights” could still bypass safeguards in certain models.
Industry experts note that AI-based voice recognition systems can sometimes misinterpret natural language, especially when commands are phrased broadly. This creates potential risk if vehicle systems lack strict safeguards around safety-critical functions.
The incident underscores the challenge automakers face as vehicles become more software-driven. While voice assistants are intended to reduce distraction and improve convenience, poorly constrained commands can introduce new hazards, particularly when they affect visibility and core driving functions.
