Volkswagen is set to revolutionize the in-car experience through the integration of advanced AI technology. By the middle of this year, the carmaker plans to introduce its voice assistant, which will be capable of engaging in dynamic, back-and-forth dialogues with users.
At the recent Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Volkswagen showcased its innovative technology, featuring ChatGPT, an AI chatbot developed by OpenAI. The company announced that ChatGPT will be available to customers in North America and Europe from early in the second quarter of the year.
One of the key highlights of this integration is the ability of the AI to understand and respond to a wide range of user demands. From simply raising the temperature upon hearing “I’m feeling cold” to providing information on nearby Indian restaurants upon hearing “I want butter chicken,” the AI can cater to various needs and preferences.
Volkswagen partnered with Cerence, a leading provider of automotive voice assistance and AI solutions, to develop this advanced conversational system. Customers will now be able to adjust functionalities in their vehicles without even touching a button, relying solely on voice commands.
Kai Gruenitz, the Volkswagen brand’s board member for technical development, emphasized the importance of seamless and intuitive usage of vehicles. He stated, “Our customers don’t want to manually adjust their seats … they want to use speech dialogue systems.”
While some critics argue that the integration of generative AI in vehicles falls short of the expectations for fully autonomous vehicles, Volkswagen and other automakers see it as a significant step forward. Gruenitz explained, “That’s the next step… I think what our customers are really looking for is seamless, intuitive usage of their car.”
Volkswagen takes pride in being the first volume manufacturer to make this advanced conversational technology a standard feature in its compact segment cars. Other automakers, including General Motors and Mercedes-Benz, are also exploring similar integrations to enhance the in-car user experience.
With this new AI integration, Volkswagen aims to transform the way users interact with their vehicles, making conversations and control more convenient and effortless than ever before.