Stellantis ‌and Microsoft said on Thursday they agreed to a ​five-year strategic partnership to co-develop artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity ⁠and engineering capabilities, as the automaker races to keep pace with technology-focused rivals.

Software and data-driven services have become central in the automotive companies’ ‌long-term strategies, especially as Chinese automakers accelerate their development of features to entice customers domestically and abroad.