The big picture: Audi is adding ChatGPT to two million cars. Drivers will be able to control their cars AC, infotainment, and navigation systems with their voice. The German car maker will be adding the AI chatbot to all future models going forward and has plans to implement AI in the manufacturing process.
If using GPT on your phone or PC wasn’t enough, German car manufacturer Audi has just announced that it will be integrating the GenAI bot into two million existing cars, from model year 2021 onwards this summer.
In a press release, Audi announced that ChatGPT will be added to any vehicle that supports MIB 3, the third-generation infotainment system used in their cars. The company is utilizing the built-in Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service to deliver the AI chatbot to current models, but it will be using Cerence Chat Pro as the platform of choice in their newer models that support their E3 1.2 electronics architecture, like the Q6 e-tron1.
The roll out is set to take place in July and will allow drivers to interact with their car by simply speaking to their car in a natural voice. Audi owners will be able to operate their infotainment, navigation, and air conditioning systems with their voice, and ChatGPT will even answer general knowledge questions (hopefully correctly).
Audi claims this will make driving a lot safer because drivers won’t have to take their eyes off the road to fiddle with with these systems anymore. To activate the AI assistance, users can press the push-to-talk button on the steering wheel or utter the words “Hey, Audi.”
“This is the next step towards a best-in-class in-cabin experience in Audi vehicles,” said Marcus Keith, VP of Interior, Infotainment, and Connectivity Development at Audi.
The German car maker is also leaning into AI in other areas of the manufacturing process, saying it wants to “fully exploit the potential of artificial intelligence.” Not only is the company going to be implementing more functions within the car itself – like owners being able to ask the AI if their tire pressure is correct – but it’s also going to use artificial intelligence to support quality control in its factories by checking spot welds and detecting cracks in body construction.
You might be wondering how having an AI assistant in your car might affect your privacy. Well, Audi states that their highest priority is data security and that all questions and answers will be deleted after processing. They also stress that ChatGPT never has access to vehicle data. Audi says that it’s complying with the EU Data Act and the AI Act and that its employees are being trained in artificial intelligence as it looks to the future of car manufacturing.