On June 15, German automaker Mercedes-Benz and Microsoft are partnering to test in-car ChatGPT artificial intelligence, which will be available to more than 900,000 vehicles in the U.S.Â
The luxury automaker said the emerging technology would be used for audio requests through its “Hey Mercedes” voice assistant, which is expected to significantly expand the system’s capabilities. According to a Microsoft spokesperson, “It is the first implementation of ChatGPT in a vehicle. In addition, Mercedes said, “An optional beta program for U.S. customers will begin on June 16. Customers can use voice command to enroll via the company’s app, Mercedes Me, or directly from the vehicle.”.
The automaker stated in a release that ChatGPT uses a large language model to significantly increase natural language understanding and broaden the themes to which it can reply. “While most voice assistants are limited to predefined tasks and responses, ChatGPT leverages a large language model to greatly improve natural language understanding and expand the topics to which it can respond,” the automaker said.
The future uses of ChatGPT in the automotive industry have also been a topic of discussion, as they have in other sectors. The Mercedes alliance represents one of the first concrete use cases for ChatGPT, despite claims from GM that their autonomous vehicles currently use advanced AI or machine learning.
According to Eric Boyd, corporate vice president of Microsoft’s AI platform, the new integration will boost voice commands and engagement, task capabilities, and allow follow-up queries.
ChatGPT excels at handling follow-up queries and maintaining contextual awareness, unlike other voice assistants, which frequently require explicit orders. Additionally, Drivers can ask difficult questions or have multi-turn dialogues, and the voice assistant will provide thorough and pertinent answers.
According to the carmaker, Mercedes will evaluate future technology integration based on the results of the three-month beta program and client feedback.
