Artificial intelligence is coming to a car near you, as Mercedes is working with Microsoft to expand the functionality of its voice control system with the help of ChatGPT. The now famous generative AI tool will help customers do more without taking their hands off the wheel.
Mercedes owners in the U.S. will be able to sign up for the ChatGPT in-vehicle beta program as of Friday, June 16, through their Mercedes me app. Appropriately enough, they can also sign up by saying “Hey, Mercedes, I want to join the beta program” to their vehicle’s MBUX Voice Assistant.
“The integration of ChatGPT with Microsoft in our controlled cloud environment is a milestone on our way to making our cars the center of our customers’ digital lives,” said Markus Schäfer, Mercedes’ chief technology officer. “Our beta program boosts the existing Hey Mercedes functions such as navigation queries, weather requests and others with the capabilities of ChatGPT.”
Read: GM May Introduce ChatGPT AI Assistant Into Its Vehicles
Although it already has a voice assistant, Mercedes says that ChatGPT will allow it to offer even more information. Most voice assistants are limited to a pre-set number of responses, ChatGPT’s large language model will allow its vehicle to better understand natural language, expanding the topics to which it can respond.
For instance, the automaker suggests that drivers will soon be able to ask their voice assistant for details about their destination, suggestions for dinner recipes, and for the answers to complex questions.
“We aim to support conversations with natural dialogues and follow-up questions,” said Schäfer. “Our customers can always rely on us to ensure the best possible protection of their data privacy. Everything is under one big goal: Redefining the relationship with your Mercedes.”
For this project, Mercedes is using Microsoft’s enterprise-grade cloud and AI capabilities to run this system. It promises to anonymize user data before storing it in its Intelligent Cloud and analyzing it.
For now, the integration of ChatGPT is a U.S. focused beta program that is expected to last three months. It will use data gathered during the test to further develop voice control, and to eventually define a rollout strategy for customers in other markets, who speak other languages. It has not offered a timeline on how long it predicts that will take.
