Volkswagen plans to start installing OpenAI's ChatGPT in its vehicles in the second quarter of 2024 to keep up with the generative AI bandwagon.
The chatbot will be available across Volkswagen's entire product line, including Tiguan, Passat and Golf, as well as the automaker's ID series of electric vehicles. The feature will first be rolled out in Europe and is being considered for US customers, although plans have not yet been finalized.
Volkswagen is using ChatGPT to augment its IDA in-car voice assistant for more natural communication between the vehicle and driver. Car owners can use this new super-powered voice assistant to control basic functions like heating and air conditioning, or answer "common sense questions" (although caution is advised given that ChatGPT occasionally makes things up).
If you're confused about why you need to use ChatGPT in your car, Volkswagen says future features may prove its worth. "Enriching conversations, answering questions, interacting with intuitive language, receiving vehicle-specific information, and much more is purely hands-free," the company said.
Volkswagen promises not to force you to create a new account or install any apps. The chatbot can be activated by using the wake word "hello ida" or by pressing a button on the steering wheel. OpenAI also doesn't have access to your driving stats. Volkswagen said the questions and answers would be "removed immediately to ensure the highest level of data protection."
Last year, OpenAI said it would release a platform for creating customized versions of ChatGPT for specific use cases. These AIs**, which OpenAI calls GPTS, will be available through the company's GPT store.
Most vehicle voice assistants are quite mechanical and can only perform actions such as turning on seat heaters or defrosters, but lack conversational skills and are often unable to accommodate more complex navigation requests. False positives and the need to repeat verbal instructions are common. Many automakers rely on options offered by third-party developers like Google's Assistant and Amazon's Alexa.
ChatGPT and other large language model chatbots have been found to provide false information, and OpenAI is facing multiple defamation and infringement lawsuits.
While many automakers announce plans to boost their vehicles with generative AI and large language models at the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Volkswagen is the first automaker to officially adopt the chatbot, which is known for sparking the latest AI race.
Volkswagen says it was able to integrate OpenAI's chatbot into its cars because Cerence, a third-party software company, offers "automotive-grade" ChatGPT integration. The company's Cerence Chat Pro software will augment Volkswagen's voice assistant, allowing it to "provide relevant answers to almost any question."
It is worth mentioning that while other automakers are "testing" the value of ChatGPT in vehicle use, Volkswagen is adopting it directly. Despite being one of the world's largest automakers, Volkswagen has had a difficult year in 2023, including disappointing sales growth, software glitches, and layoffs. The company is clearly looking for some kind of boost, and joining the AI hype seems to be designed to give it some kind of aura of technological innovation.
Hopefully, Volkswagen will be alert when internet pranksters discover that a California Chevrolet dealership is using ChatGPT in its ** assistant.