Volkswagen to integrate ChatGPT into vehicle design

Volkswagen is integrating ChatGPT into its vehicles. As the Group announced at the CES in Las Vegas, the chatbot based on artificial intelligence will be made available in its own voice assistant, which can be used to control infotainment, navigation and air conditioning, for example, or to answer general knowledge questions. (UPDATE BELOW)

ChatGPT will be offered in conjunction with the latest infotainment generation from the second quarter of 2024 in the first markets for the ID.3, ID.4, ID.5 and ID.7 electric models as well as for the Tiguan, Passat and Golf. According to Volkswagen, the integration of ChatGPT into the backend of the IDA voice assistant will offer many new possibilities “that go far beyond the previous voice control”. According to the Wolfsburg-based company, customers will in future be able to “seamlessly access the constantly growing artificial intelligence database and have researched content read out to them while driving and interact with the car in natural language”.

The new function is based on the ‘Cerence Chat Pro’ programme from technology partner Cerence. Volkswagen describes itself as the first volume manufacturer to offer ‘ChatGPT’ in the first markets and in many models in series production from the second quarter of 2024.

“Volkswagen has always democratised technology and made it accessible to the many. This is simply ingrained in our DNA. As a result, we are now the first volume manufacturer to make this innovative technology a standard feature in vehicles from the compact segment upwards,” emphasises Kai Grünitz, Member of the Board of Management for Technical Development at Volkswagen.

Update 25 June 2024

VW models with the new infotainment generation are now on the road with ChatGPT’s artificial intelligence. The AI-based search tool is available in all new vehicles in the ID. vehicle family, among others.

Using voice assistants to enter the route, control the air conditioning and other functions via the infotainment is one of the basic functions. With ChatGPT, however, Volkswagen wants to “significantly” increase the possibilities.

Previously, it was already possible in current Volkswagen models to control the infotainment, navigation or air conditioning via the online voice assistant IDA. Volkswagen now wants to enable the vehicle to potentially answer questions from various fields of knowledge. For example, the AI could “provide information on tourist attractions, report on past football tournaments or help solve maths problems,” as VW writes.

According to VW, to use the feature, it is not necessary to create a separate account for ChatGPT. Customers with an existing account for “VW Connect” or “VW Connect Plus” can use the new functions. There was also thought given to data privacy: “Only if a query cannot be answered by the Volkswagen system is it forwarded anonymously to ChatGPT; the answer is then provided in the familiar Volkswagen voice. At no point does ChatGPT gain access to vehicle data. Questions and answers are deleted immediately in order to ensure optimal data protection. The online voice assistant can be deactivated either in the settings area of the Volkswagen app or in the infotainment system’s privacy settings,” Volkswagen wrote in a statement.

volkswagen-newsroom.com, volkswagen-newsroom.com (update)