Volkswagen’s latest models are now featuring a new-generation infotainment system enhanced with ChatGPT’s artificial intelligence capabilities. This AI-powered tool is integrated into all new vehicles in the all-electric ID. family, as well as the new Golf, new Tiguan, and new Passat.
Accessible via the IDA voice assistant, it provides an array of functionalities far surpassing the previous voice control options. For instance, customers can now have search results read aloud and interact with the car using natural language.
Kai Grünitz, Member of the Brand Board of Management responsible for Development, stated, “Volkswagen has a long tradition of democratising technologies. As a volume manufacturer, we make these technologies accessible to large numbers of people.
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By seamlessly integrating ChatGPT into the backend of our voice assistant, we are now offering drivers the opportunity to use this artificial intelligence on a daily basis, thus underlining how innovative our products are.”
Volkswagen’s current models already allow users to control infotainment, navigation, and climate systems via the IDA online voice assistant, which can also answer various queries. However, with ChatGPT, the scope of possibilities has significantly expanded.
The AI can now provide information on tourist attractions, report on historical sports events, and even assist with math problems. This interaction is intuitive; drivers simply speak naturally to the assistant without needing to divert their attention from the road.
Volkswagen’s ID.4 and other models are easy to use, requiring no additional accounts. Customers with a VW Connect or VW Connect Plus account can use the IDA voice assistant as usual, with no need for extra access or apps. Activating the digital assistant is straightforward: just say “Hello IDA” or press a button on the steering wheel.
Queries that the Volkswagen system can’t answer are forwarded anonymously to ChatGPT, and the response is provided in the Volkswagen voice. Notably, ChatGPT does not access vehicle data, and all questions and answers are immediately deleted to ensure data protection. Users can deactivate the online voice assistant in the Volkswagen app or the infotainment system’s privacy settings.
At the CES 2024 electronics trade show in January 2024, Volkswagen showcased the first vehicles with ChatGPT integrated into the IDA voice assistant. The technology is available in English (US and UK), Spanish, Czech, and German. This integration is the result of a collaboration with Cerence Inc., a leader in automotive AI solutions. Cerence Chat Pro, which includes ChatGPT, enables IDA to provide accurate and relevant responses to nearly every imaginable query.
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