Volkswagen will follow in the footsteps of Mercedes-Benz. The manufacturer got on the artificial intelligence train and advertisement that will incorporate ChatGPT into its cars. OpenAI chatbot will be integrated into the IDA voice assistant to enrich conversations with the user.
The company took advantage of the start of CES 2014 to present its new features and one of the most striking is the arrival of ChatGPT. The incorporation of the artificial intelligence chatbot in Volkswagen cars will be done through Cerence Chat Pro, a platform that facilitates the integration of AI in car assistants to expand conversation capabilities.
According to Volkswagen, ChatGPT could be used to manage the infotainment system or ask general knowledge questions.s. “This can be useful on many levels during a car trip: enrich conversations, clarify questions, interact in intuitive language, receive vehicle-specific information and much more, purely hands-free,” the company mentioned.
The manufacturer closed an agreement with Cerence to integrate ChatGPT in the backend of ID.7, ID.4, ID.5, ID.3 electric carsas well as in the new Tiguan, Passat and GolF. The deployment of the chatbot will be done through an update from the cloud and does not require the user to make any interaction. OpenAI artificial intelligence will be available within IDA and will be activated when the driver presses the button dedicated on the steering wheel.
Volkswagen said that IDA automatically prioritizes queries, so if the request cannot be made with the internal system, the assistant forwards the information to the AI. The person behind the wheel will not be able to distinguish ChatGPT, since IDA’s voice will be the one who answers.
ChatGPT and privacy concerns in Volkswagen cars
While the arrival of ChatGPT in Volkswagen cars opens the door to new possibilities, there are some privacy concerns. Given this, the German manufacturer declared that the consultations are made anonymously and the chatbot does not have access to any vehicle data. Questions and answers will be deleted immediately to ensure the protection of information.
“VW features an automotive-grade ChatGPT integration that offers unmatched flexibility, customization and ease of implementation, while prioritizing safety and usability for drivers,” stated Stefan Ortmanns, CEO of Cerence. “We are proud to leverage our automotive expertise and long-term partnership with Volkswagen to continue bringing new innovations to customers, even after the vehicle purchase.”
The long-term collaboration includes the development of a new long language model (LLM) for the next generation of cars. Cerence will leverage Volkswagen’s data set to train its model to deliver voice and touch experiences in the same conversation.
Volkswagen He did not confirm the date he will update his cars to ChatGPT or if it will be offered in all countries. In the case of Mercedes-Benz, the chatbot is only available in beta for those who live in the United States. VW could follow a similar path and launch it in a trial period to polish errors and resolve any bugs.