Can AI Actually Lower Your Car Insurance? | with Michael O'Shea of MOTER
This episode from CES 2026 features Michael O'Shea, CTO and COO of MOTER Technologies, discussing the company's approach to usage-based insurance through in-vehicle AI deployment. MOTER Technologies, backed by a major Japanese insurance company, places software directly in vehicles to analyze sensor data and generate fair driver risk scores while maintaining privacy through edge computing. O'Shea explains how their collaboration with Sonatus AI Director enables standardized deployment of their lightweight AI models across different vehicle platforms, benefiting drivers through potentially lower insurance costs, OEMs through revenue sharing and customer loyalty programs, and insurance companies through more accurate risk assessment. The conversation covers the evolution from traditional OBD dongles and smartphone apps to sophisticated in-vehicle systems that provide contextual understanding of driving behavior. O'Shea also discusses their DriveSAGE coaching application that provides feedback to help drivers improve their safety scores, emphasizing the importance of transparency and customer consent in data usage.
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction to MOTER Technologies and CES 2026
0:45 Meet Michael O'Shea
1:10 Michael's Background in Automotive Industry
2:30 Fun Facts and Personal Stories
3:42 Overview of MOTER Technologies
5:27 Innovative Approaches to Usage-Based Insurance
6:58 Addressing Privacy Concerns in Data Usage
8:37 Benefits for OEMs and the Automotive Ecosystem
9:58 Enhancing Brand Loyalty through Technology
11:02 Collaboration with Sonatus and AI Director
14:12 MOTER-Sonatus Case study and Demonstration Insights
16:45 Introducing Drive Sage Coaching Application
17:41 Engaging Younger Drivers with Data Sharing
18:13 Building Trust through Transparency
18:56 Closing Thoughts and Future Conversations
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction to MOTER Technologies and CES 2026
0:45 Meet Michael O'Shea
1:10 Michael's Background in Automotive Industry
2:30 Fun Facts and Personal Stories
3:42 Overview of MOTER Technologies
5:27 Innovative Approaches to Usage-Based Insurance
6:58 Addressing Privacy Concerns in Data Usage
8:37 Benefits for OEMs and the Automotive Ecosystem
9:58 Enhancing Brand Loyalty through Technology
11:02 Collaboration with Sonatus and AI Director
14:12 MOTER-Sonatus Case study and Demonstration Insights
16:45 Introducing Drive Sage Coaching Application
17:41 Engaging Younger Drivers with Data Sharing
18:13 Building Trust through Transparency
18:56 Closing Thoughts and Future Conversations
Creators and Guests
Host
John Heinlein, Ph.D.
An experienced technology and marketing leader, John brings his background from startups and established companies to Sonatus. He worked for 14 years at Arm, most recently leading Automotive Partnerships for North America where he engaged OEMs, Tier-1s, and others to deploy Arm-based solutions into automotive applications, including autonomous vehicles. His team was integral to launching the SOAFEE industry initiative for software-defined vehicles of which Sonatus is a member. Earlier he served as VP and Chief of Staff to the CEO and led a group responsible for competitive strategy. For three years, he was VP of Corporate Marketing where he led centralized outbound marketing, spanning marketing campaigns, press, events, web, digital marketing, ecosystem programs, and working closely with investor relations. Prior to Arm, John had an 11-year tenure at microprocessor startup Transmeta where he held several senior roles spanning business development, marketing, and customer success, among others. John earned his B.S. in Computer Engineering from Carnegie-Mellon University and an M.S. and Ph.D., both in Electrical Engineering, from Stanford University.
