Laura Hyde |
Multinational automotive company Mercedes‑Benz is rolling out a free update to its artificial intelligence-powered MBUX Voice Assistant to more than three million vehicles from today.
Powered by ChatGPT, the MBUX Voice Assistant can now provide drivers with up‑to‑date answers to knowledge-based questions by initiating a Microsoft Bing search. It then uses ChatGPT through Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service to give a “human-like response” to the query, whether it’s about the weather, news or sport results and even pop culture, geography, science, health or history.
The assistant is ‘context-aware,’ meaning that it can respond to follow-up requests for additional information. For example, a person could ask: “How many Grammy awards has a certain artist won?” and after receiving the answer could add: “When was the first?” and the system would respond correctly, as it understands the background. Conversation history is stored for one hour.
As before to keep interactions entirely hands-free, users simply say “Hey Mercedes” to activate the assistant. Alternatively, they can press the speech button on the steering wheel. Initially the update will be available in German, British English and American English.
In 2023 Mercedes‑Benz was one of the first automakers to introduce ChatGPT in a beta programme for the USA. The company is now bringing this functionality into series-production vehicles for the first time.
“By adding an AI-driven knowledge feature to our MBUX Voice Assistant, we are making it even easier for customers to connect with their vehicle in an entertaining and rewarding way,” said Markus Schäfer, chief technology officer of development and procurement, and member of the board of management of Mercedes‑Benz Group. “Our unique AI software seamlessly interacts with ChatGPT and Bing through Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service to deliver information like never before. This is another proof point on our journey towards the hyper-personalised in-car user experience.”