Horsham man uses AI to develop revolutionary tech tool
A Horsham man has used AI to help develop a revolutionary tech tool that can diagnose car problems when drivers are confronted with a warning light.
Self-confessed petrolhead Matt Wallace has launched AutoMind – a phone app-based diagnostic tool that drivers can plug into their car if a warning light comes on. AutoMind will then establish what the fault is.
"There are three big pain points for drivers when they notice something wrong with their cars: urgency, cost confusion, and lack of trust in garages," says Matt, 52. "People don’t know whether a warning light means 'pull over now' or 'deal with it next week' but they panic anyway.”
AutoMind, he says, “solves all of these by decoding issues in plain English, giving users a sense of control – without trying to replace garages. "It’s like your GP for your car. Not the surgeon. Just the first-level, intelligent check that helps you make smart decisions."
Matt’s professional background spans IT, sales, marketing, as well as entrepreneurship which led to the formation of AutoMind. "I'd already been dabbling with car-related businesses, engine remapping, carbon cleaning, DPF cleaning. I saw a niche no one was addressing and stepped into it full-time.”
Within a year, he was envisioning a phone app-based diagnostic tool long before the explosion of mainstream artificial intelligence. "An Israeli company approached me about dongles that plug into your car’s onboard diagnostics port and connect to an app, but my team at the time shot it down. I’ve regretted it ever since."
But that regret turned into relentless focus when high level AI arrived in 2023, signalled by the public release of ChatGPT. Matt said: “It was the missing ingredient and the moment I started experimenting with AI for diagnostics.”
What sets AutoMind apart from existing apps and dongles isn’t just its slick interface or plug-and-play simplicity, says Matt, but its focus on the ordinary person’s understanding and empowerment as a consumer.
The app has been in rigorous testing for two years. Matt personally runs diagnostics on dozens of vehicles weekly to train the AI, which has been custom-built rather than off-the-shelf. "We’re not just using general AI. We've trained it ourselves to understand automotive context and user behaviour."
AutoMind isn’t about car enthusiasts or petrolheads, says Matt. “It’s for the anxious parent about to drive 300 miles with a newborn baby, the driver watching the MOT or service date inch closer, and any motorist who just wants to feel in control when that dreaded engine management light blinks on.
"Cars have changed. Drivers haven’t. They still want peace of mind. "That’s what we’re delivering – with the help of AI.”