A lot of 2023 and 2024 model-year cars have voice recognition systems. But they’re hardly scintillating conversationalists.
They can turn the temperature down on request. But they can’t suggest a good pad thai place nearby or tell you about the movies at the theater today.
Volkswagen thinks it can make them more engaging. All it will take is a little ChatGTP.
The automaker used this week’s CES event (formerly the Consumer Electronics Show, it’s now just CES, like Beyonce) in Las Vegas to unveil its plans. VW has partnered with technology firm Cerence Inc. to make its in-car personal assistant more engaging.
Appearing Soon, But Only “Considered” for U.S.
The system will debut during the second quarter on VW’s electric cars and newer gas models, but it may not appear in the U.S. Volkswagen says it is “being considered for” the American market.
Cerence integrated ChatGTP tech into the voice assistant in the Volkswagen ID.4, ID.7, and the all-new Golf, Passat, and Tiguan. Volkswagen calls the assistant “IDA,” like the name Ida.
You can activate it by touching a steering wheel button or saying, “Hello, IDA.” If you ask it to perform a simple car-related task, like setting a destination in the navigation system or adjusting the volume on the music, ChatGPT won’t come into play.
But the system can also handle “questions that go beyond this as part of its continuously expanding capabilities,” the company says. It uses AI technology for “enriching conversations, clearing up questions, interacting in intuitive language, receiving vehicle-specific information, and much more — purely hands-free.”
Some Privacy Protections
Volkswagen says it does not have “access to vehicle data,” so you can’t ask your car if it needs service soon. It will delete questions and answers “immediately to ensure the highest possible level of data protection.”
CES is as much an auto show as a technology show these days. We expect more revelations about new in-car technologies as the week goes on.
