Exploration of Ideological and Political Education Paths in Automotive English Courses in the Digital Intelligence Era: Taking the Empowerment of Cross-Cultural Competence Cultivation by AI Technology as an Example

In the context of the digital-intelligent era, artificial intelligence (AI) technologies offer new pathways for vocational education curriculum reform. This paper explores the integration of curriculum-based ideological and political education (CISPE) with intercultural competence development in Automotive English courses, using AI-enabled pedagogy as a case study. By analyzing prevalent issues such as superficial integration of ideological elements and the lack of cultural instruction, the study proposes an AI-driven, intelligent teaching model. This model utilizes authentic workplace corpora, virtual simulation scenarios, and multimodal resources to construct a holistic "language–culture–values" instructional framework. Findings indicate that AI technology not only enhances students’ intercultural communication skills but also facilitates the internalization of ideological values—such as craftsmanship, professional ethics, and cultural confidence—through implicit, contextualized learning. The proposed model provides a practical paradigm for achieving an organic integration of knowledge transmission, skill development, and value cultivation in vocational English education.