Volkswagen (VWAGY) -) said at CES 2024 it would present its first lineup of vehicles with Ida voice assistants that have been integrated with artificial intelligence technology, courtesy of ChatGPT.
The foundation of this new function, according to the company, comes from Volkswagen's Cerence technology partner and is called Cerence Chat Pro.
It will be offered as a standard feature in many of its production vehicles, beginning in the second quarter.
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The voice assistant, VW says, can be used to control infotainment, navigation and air conditioning. It also can answer general questions, something Volkswagen said can provide the hands-free enrichment of conversation during a journey.
Drivers don't need to do anything to access the AI-specific functionality of the voice assistant. The system will anonymously forward any requests it cannot answer to its AI counterpart, which will then process them.
Volkswagen noted that ChatGPT "does not gain access to any vehicle data."
The company said that questions — and their answers — are immediately deleted to ensure data protection. Volkswagen added that even as Cerence Chat Pro is designed to produce "relevant responses to nearly every query imaginable," it is a feature that prioritizes security.
The company later elaborated in a statement saying that customer data is "100% protected."
"Basic vehicle functionality is completely anonymized (with or without voice assistance)," a Volkswagen spokesperson told TheStreet. "The customer can decide the privacy settings and the vehicle’s functionality adapts accordingly. All data exchanged between the customer and Volkswagen’s voice assistant is anonymous; no personal data is exchanged."
Volkswagen added that it protects "all basic car functionality from AI hallucination. When drivers are given information deriving from ChatGPT, that information will be sourced to the chatbot.
"Volkswagen has always democratized technology and made it accessible to the many. This is simply ingrained in our DNA," said Kai Grünitz, the member of the Volkswagen brand's management board who is responsible for technical development.
Courtesy of Volkswagen AG
'Direct access to AI-based research tool': VW
Grünitz added that Volkswagen is now the first volume manufacturer to integrate ChatGPT as a standard feature in everything from its compact cars and up.
"We are offering our drivers added value and direct access to the AI-based research tool," he said.
Volkswagen is, however, not the first car brand to attempt to unite an AI chatbot and its drivers in its line of vehicles. Mercedes-Benz in June announced a partnership with OpenAI to integrate ChatGPT in its vehicles. Some 900,000 cars were eligible in that beta program.
And General Motors (GM) -) in August announced an expansion of its partnership with Google regarding the integration of Google's generative AI technology in its own suite of vehicles.
Contact Ian with AI stories via email, ian.krietzberg@thearenagroup.net, or Signal 732-804-1223.
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