The realm of artificial intelligence (AI) has expanded beyond creating texts, songs, and images, and is now making its way into the automotive industry. This advancement was highlighted at the 2024 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, where leading car manufacturers like Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz announced plans to incorporate AI features into their cars.

This move prompts questions about the role of AI in vehicles and its potential advantages for drivers. Let’s delve into the potential implications of AI in cars and its impact on the driving experience.

Volkswagen, a prominent German car manufacturer, has merged ChatGPT technology with its ‘IDA voice assistant’, enabling drivers to access a wide range of information while on the move. The company plans to be the first to standardize ChatGPT in vehicles starting from the second quarter of 2024.

The IDA voice assistant is set to revolutionize voice control capabilities, offering enhanced control over functions like infotainment, navigation, and climate control, surpassing current offerings in many vehicles. Additionally, drivers will be able to pose general knowledge queries to their cars, effectively transforming them into a mobile search engine.

As per Volkswagen’s press release, the IDA voice assistant will support interactive, intuitive language conversations, vehicle-specific information access, and hands-free operation.

Mercedes-Benz is also adopting a similar approach by integrating a chatbot feature, aiming for a more realistic interaction. However, unlike Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz has not specifically mentioned using OpenAI’s ChatGPT in their press materials.

It’s worth noting that OpenAI’s ChatGPT is not the sole large-language model chatbot available. This leaves room for speculation about the different AI technologies Mercedes-Benz might be experimenting with.

There have been concerns about the accuracy of information provided by AI systems like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, as well as issues regarding user data security. Volkswagen, in response, assures that ChatGPT will not access vehicle data and that user queries will be immediately deleted to maximize data protection. The company also plans to utilize Cerence Chat Pro to verify responses for accuracy and relevance.

Cerence, a leading automotive AI company in the US, has also partnered with Skoda to develop an automotive chatbot capable of answering a vast range of questions, thereby enhancing the driving experience.

With these advancements, we can anticipate a future where cars not only answer a wide array of car-related questions but also become an integral part of our information-seeking and decision-making processes. This technology is expected to address queries ranging from locating the nearest EV charger to specific details about the car’s maintenance schedule and driving statistics.

Original source: https://bit.ly/3SKIC3Q