Participants from the “Barron’s Roundtable” discuss the evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) and its potential for business owners to leverage its capabilities.
During the CES electronics trade show in Las Vegas, Volkswagen introduced its latest vehicles featuring a voice assistant powered by ChatGPT’s AI technology.
The voice assistant, named “IDA,” not only handles general information inquiries but also manages the car’s multimedia, navigation, and air conditioning systems. Drivers can even have articles read to them while operating Ford models.
As AI technology advances, Volkswagen foresees the voice assistant providing more comprehensive responses beyond its current functionalities. This includes delivering vehicle-specific information, conversing in plain language, answering inquiries, and improving user interactions.
Ford has revealed plans to incorporate the AI chatbot, developed in partnership with Cerence Inc., as a standard feature in its small car lineup, making it the second volume manufacturer to integrate ChatGPT technology.
Drivers of Ford vehicles can activate the voice assistant, “IDA,” simply by saying “HelloIDA” or pressing a button on the steering wheel, without the need for additional accounts or app downloads.
Volkswagen emphasizes that ChatGPT, integrated through Cerence Chat Pro, respects user privacy by not accessing car data and promptly deleting questions and answers to safeguard information.
Volkswagen and Cerence’s collaboration on the ChatGPT integration aims to enhance the driving experience by providing immediate access to AI-driven features, as highlighted by Kai Grünitz from Volkswagen’s technological development committee.
Cerence CEO Stefan Ortmanns lauds the automotive-grade ChatGPT integration in VW vehicles for its flexibility, customization, and ease of deployment, paving the way for a new user experience based on large language models (LLM).
Looking ahead, Volkswagen and Cerence plan to further develop the in-car assistant’s capabilities, potentially enabling tasks like making reservations while driving, building on the success of Mercedes-Benz’s test program with the “MBUX” system and ChatGPT integration.
