Volkswagen cars to offer ‘enriching conversations’ with ChatGPT

Volkswagen is hopping on the generative AI trend by revealing intentions to integrate OpenAI’s ChatGPT into its cars, beginning in the second quarter of 2024. The chatbot will be accessible in all of VW’s models, including Tiguan, Passat, and Golf, as well as the ID family of electric vehicles. Initially, it’s rolling out in Europe, and they’re thinking about bringing it to US customers, but the details are still in the works.

VW is using ChatGPT to enhance its IDA in-car voice assistant, making communication between the car and the driver more natural. With this upgraded voice assistant, car owners can manage basic functions such as heating and air conditioning or get answers to “general knowledge questions.”

If you’re puzzled about why you’d want ChatGPT in your car, VW suggests that upcoming features will demonstrate its value. The company mentions possibilities like “enriching conversations, clearing up questions, interacting in intuitive language, receiving vehicle-specific information, and much more—purely hands-free.”

VW assures you won’t be pressured to make a new account or download any apps. You can activate the chatbot by saying “Hello IDA” or hitting a button on the steering wheel. Plus, OpenAI won’t be peeking at your driving stats. VW ensures that questions and answers are “deleted immediately to ensure the highest possible level of data protection.”

OpenAI announced last year that it would launch a platform for creating personalized versions of ChatGPT tailored to specific needs. These AI agents, referred to as GPTs by OpenAI, will be available through the company’s GPT Store.

Many car voice assistants are quite basic, handling tasks like activating seat heaters or window defrosters but lacking conversational abilities and struggling with complex navigation requests. Issues like false positives and the need to repeat instructions vocally are common. A lot of car manufacturers are turning to solutions from third-party developers such as Google’s Assistant and Amazon’s Alexa.

ChatGPT and similar large language model chatbots have gained a reputation for providing inaccurate information, and OpenAI is currently facing several defamation and copyright infringement lawsuits as a result. While numerous car manufacturers are seizing the annual CES conference in Las Vegas to unveil intentions of integrating their vehicles with generative AI and large language models, VW is the first to formally adopt the chatbot that sparked the latest AI arms race.