LAS VEGAS -- Volkswagen plans to integrate ChatGPT functionality into its cars' voice assistance programs.
VW has partnered with Cerence to use the software company's artificial intelligence-powered Cerence Chat Pro for the functionality.
The automaker presented its first vehicles featuring ChatGPT at the CES tech fair here on Monday. ChatGPT will be available for customers in North America and Europe from early in the second quarter,
VW said the updated voice assistant can control entertainment in the car and answer general knowledge questions. In future, it could converse with drivers and interact in other ways, the company said.
Cerence said the feature will roll out via an over-the-air update. VW said ChatGPT does not gain any access to vehicle data and all questions and answers are deleted.
Customers adjust functionalities from their vehicle without touching a button, said Kai Gruenitz, VW brand's technical development chief. "Our customers don't want to manually adjust their seats ... they want to use speech dialogue systems," he said.
From raising the temperature when it hears "I'm feeling cold" to showing the nearest Indian restaurant upon hearing "I want butter chicken," the AI can recognise and respond to a range of demands, VW and Cerence executives said.
Kerrigan Advisors’ proprietary annual OEM Survey of over 100 executives reveals that the majority of respondents are worried about the financial impact of Chinese automakers’ growing global market share, and most expect that the EV transition to be slower than expected. The survey also queried executives on their outlooks for dealership valuations and profitability, as well as their expectations for the future of dealer networks and facility requirements.
"Really good voice control is a very difficult challenge. We are convinced that this can only work with large language models based on AI,” Grunitz said.
VW said it was the first volume manufacturer to make the technology a standard feature in its compact segment cars. General Motors said in March last year it was working on a virtual personal assistant using AI models behind ChatGPT.
Mercedes-Benz ran a test program last June enabling around 900,000 vehicles which had the automaker's MBUX system to download ChatGPT, with the view of users eventually being able to carry out tasks like making movie or restaurant reservations from behind the wheel.
VW said the voice assistant will be included in several models such as the ID4 electric crossover, Tiguan crossover and the upcoming 2025 Golf. VW showed the updated Golf in camouflage at CES ahead of its late January debut.
Reuters contributed to this report
