German automaker Volkswagen revealed on Monday its plans to incorporate the OpenAI-developed generative language model ChatGPT into its vehicles, introducing the feature as part of its IDA voice assistant. The announcement precedes the highly anticipated Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, where Volkswagen stated that ChatGPT integration is slated for production vehicles as early as the second quarter of this year.
Volkswagen intends to deploy the chatbot functionality in several models, including the ID.3, ID.4, ID.5, and ID.7, as well as the new Tiguan and Passat variants. Partnering with Cerence Chat Pro, the automaker aims to empower drivers to control various vehicle functions such as air conditioning and navigation, while the voice assistant can respond to general queries.
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Kai Grünitz, Volkswagen Brand Board of Management Member for Technical Development, emphasized the company’s commitment to democratizing technology and making it accessible. Grünitz stated, “As a result, we are now the first volume manufacturer to make this innovative technology a standard feature in vehicles from the compact segment upwards.”
The press release clarified that ChatGPT will not have access to vehicle or user data, with questions and answers promptly deleted to safeguard user privacy. To activate the chatbot, drivers can simply say “Hello IDA,” prompting the voice assistant to utilize ChatGPT’s artificial intelligence and other sources to determine function output.
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While this marks the first integration of a chatbot into a vehicle, Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently mentioned the potential native implementation of xAI’s Grok language model in Tesla vehicles using local computing power. Musk did not provide a specific timeline for this development, raising questions about potential overlap with Volkswagen’s integration of ChatGPT.
There have been previous reports suggesting that ChatGPT might find its way into vehicles from other auto brands, including General Motors (GM). The evolution of AI integration in the automotive industry continues to be a topic of interest, with manufacturers exploring innovative solutions to enhance user experience while maintaining privacy standards.
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