This chapter investigates the foundations, architecture, simulation, and applications of artificial intelligence (AI) in the hardware security of smart vehicles. AI is essential for boosting autonomous connected cars’ capabilities and allowing sophisticated functions as the automotive industry goes through a huge change toward them. This chapter investigates the fundamental ideas, design parameters, modeling approaches, and numerous applications of AI in the security aspects of the automotive arena. It analyzes multiple facets of AI implementations in smart vehicles in enormous detail. The chapter’s conclusion discusses the difficulties and potential paths of AI in the security concerns of the hardware in the automobile sector. Critical obstacles include ethical issues, legal frameworks, data secrecy and confidentiality, scalability, and public confidence and acceptability. Advanced autonomous driving, collaborative systems, context-aware personalization, and smart mobility services are some of the potential applications of AI in smart vehicles in the future. This chapter is a significant resource on different hardware security mechanisms for automotive academics, engineers, and professionals who want to understand and utilize the potential of AI in smart vehicles. It emphasizes the revolutionary impact of AI in determining the future transport system and the necessity of integrating AI technology efficiently and securely.