German car giant Volkswagen says some of its latest cars will feature ChatGPT artificial intelligence within a matter of months.
Its electric ID.3, ID.4, ID.5 and ID.7 will soon include the AI chatbot, as will the all-new Tiguan SUV, Passat estate and forthcoming Golf Mk8 facelift, with existing models to have the enhancement as of March onwards.
Likened to fictional systems including Iron Man’s ‘Jarvis’ assistant and ‘KITT’ from hit eighties TV series Knight Rider, it will allow users to call out almost any command and have the AI provide a suitable – spoken – response.
Volkswagens to get ChatGPT from March: New VW models – including the facelifted Golf and Golf GTI (interior pictured) – will soon have the AI chatbot system integrated
Hello Michael! The availability of ChatGPT in new cars has been likened to KITT in Knight Rider – the fictional system built into Michael Knight’s (played by David Hasselhoff) car in 1980s hit TV series, Knight Rider
Like Knight in the TV show, users will be able to ask the latest Volkswagen cars questions and receive spoken responses while on the move
VW cars fitted with its ‘IDA’ voice assistant will soon have ChatGPT functionality added to new and existing cars on the road via over-the-air software updates.
In the future, it will provide customers with ‘seamless access to the constantly growing artificial intelligence database’, provided researched answers to any question they ask that will be read out to them while driving.
The system – debuted at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show In Las Vegas – is provided by the car maker’s technology partner Cerence Inc.
It has been showcased in the updated Volkswagen Golf GTI.
The announcement does provide a first glimpse of the facelifted Golf’s interior, which is set to include a new – bigger – free-standing infotainment screen compared to the integrated display used in high-spec models of the Mk8 hatchback that hit the UK market in early 2020.
The ChatGPT functionality announcement has been showcased in the updated Volkswagen Golf GTI (pictured)
The facelifted Mk8 Golf GTI is likely to be the last with a petrol engine before VW ditches combustion power as part of the transition to electric vehicles
While DS Automobiles became the first car brand to offer ChatGPT voice command integration last year, Volkswagen bosses claim it will be the first ‘volume manufacturer’ to offer the AI chatbot as a standard feature.
It will serve as an extension of the existing IDA command system, providing improved voice control functionality for the infotainment, navigation and air conditioning settings – and will even be able to answer general knowledge questions on the move.
If the request cannot be answered by the Volkswagen system, it is forwarded anonymously to AI and the familiar VW voice responds.
It is activated with the phrase: ‘Hello IDA’ or by pressing a button on the steering wheel.
‘In the future, AI will provide additional information in response to questions that go beyond this as part of its continuously expanding capabilities,’ VW says.
‘This can be helpful on many levels during a car journey: enriching conversations, clearing up questions, interacting in intuitive language, receiving vehicle-specific information, and much more – purely hands-free.’
The German car maker says the ChatGPT system will not gain access to any vehicle data, adding that any question and answer will be deleted immediately to ensure the highest possible level of data protection.
‘Volkswagen has always democratised technology and made it accessible to the many,’ explained said Kai Grünitz, head of technical development.
‘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.
‘Thanks to the seamless integration of ChatGPT and strong collaboration with our partner, Cerence, we are offering our drivers added value and direct access to the AI-based research tool. This also underlines the innovative strength of our new products.’
Cerene, VW’s tech partner that is providing the AI chatbot system in its cars, said it will ‘enable drivers and passengers to engage the in-car assistant in fun and conversational chit-chat’
Cerene bosses said the system will ‘enable drivers and passengers to engage the in-car assistant in fun and conversational chit-chat’ by ‘leveraging a multitude of sources, including ChatGPT, to provide accurate and relevant responses to nearly every query imaginable’.
Volkswagen’s update to the Mk8 Golf is likely to be the last version of the famous nameplate to be powered by an internal combustion engine, the company hinted last year.
VW first launched the Golf in 1974. and the moniker has since earned legendary status.
However, VW’s switch to electric cars means today’s eighth-generation version will be its last with a petrol engine.
VW is due to launch 10 new electric models by 2026, including the ‘affordable’ ID.2 crossover, which is promised to cost less than €25,000 – that’s around £22,000 – when it hits the market in three years’ time.
The car maker plans to keep the Golf name for a future electric model, but the earliest this is likely to be released is 2028.
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