Why Cat is confident its new AI Assistant won’t be prone to hallucinations

Speaking to press ahead of the Las Vegas event, Brad Brown, digital product manager for the Cat AI Assistant, acknowledged that because the system is built on generative AI, hallucinations can never be ruled out entirely.

However, Brown argued that Caterpillar’s approach reduces the risk compared with open, third-party AI systems trained on broad internet data. The assistant is built on Caterpillar’s proprietary Helios platform, a unified data layer developed over the past decade that connects machine, fleet and service data across its digital ecosystem.

“That means the likelihood that our AI is going to hallucinate is much lower than a product of a third-party AI because it’s all grounded on those services that we’re already using today in all of our applications,” he said.

To mitigate against unexpected responses, Caterpillar has introduced what Brown described as “very robust guardrails”. As the assistant formulates an answer, the system monitors what he called its “trajectory”. “The moment we think it’s off the rails for any reason, we just fail the whole call,” Brown said.

He added that Caterpillar also uses what it calls “LLMs as a judge”, alongside human oversight, to monitor responses for relevance and accuracy in real time. “We’re constantly monitoring the system to try to reduce those solutions as much as we can,” he said.

One assistant, multiple platforms

The Cat AI Assistant, first announced at the CES show in January this year, is being positioned as a single, unified assistant that will ‘live’ in all Caterpillar’s digital applications, rather than separate tools for different platforms.

At launch on 2 March, it will be available in a series of cloud-based applications, including Cat.com, VisionLink and VisionLink Mobile, Cat Central, parts.cat.com and SIS 2.0 (Service Information System). It will not initially be deployed in machine cabs.

Users interact with the system using the phrase “Hey, Cat…”, followed by natural language questions such as queries about machine fuel efficiency, identifying underutilised machines, reviewing planned maintenance requirements and interpreting warning lights.

Caterpillar said an in-cab version is under development but not part of this week’s release. The company’s recently announced collaboration with chip firm NVIDIA aims to support the longer-term ambition of embedding Cat AI Assistant into the machines (which would need to be connected to the cloud for it to work).

Cat’s AI Assistant officially launches at ConExpo 2026 within five apps (Image: Cat)

A case of too many apps drives development

According to Brown, the assistant was developed in response to customer feedback about fragmented digital workflows. Some customers were using eight Caterpillar applications daily and more than 30 across different OEMs.

Cat’s AI Assistant aims to break down those silos by allowing users to surface information conversationally rather than navigating multiple dashboards and documents. Brown described it as a “unified, intelligent, trusted partner” that can move with the user “from the desk to the dirt, from the cab to the cloud”.

But he also stressed that the tool is an enabler and not intended to be a substitute for human roles.

“The assistant is not here to replace anyone,” Brown said. “Our goal is to enhance the experience for our end users and for the personas within our customer organisations.”

He also highlighted the fact that the current version is an early release. Brown likened it to early versions of Google Maps, which has progressed significantly since it was first launched around 20 years ago. Cat AI Assistant’s functionality will expand over time in the same way, he contended.

“This is the very beginning of our product. It’s the initial launch and it will continue to grow and expand and get smarter,” he said.

The company plans to extend the AI Assistant to additional applications and broaden its capabilities as time goes on. While AI-enabled purchasing is not part of the launch, Caterpillar is monitoring market appetite for allowing the assistant to complete transactions, such as ordering parts, on behalf of customers in the future.

For now, the emphasis is on providing faster access to service information, fleet performance data and dealer support, while Brown said Cat was committed to making sure it maintain tight control over data governance and response accuracy.