Mercedes-Benz is introducing OpenAI’s ChatGPT, a conversational AI agent, to its MBUX infotainment system, offering an additional luxury feature to its U.S. vehicle owners. Starting from June 16, owners of Mercedes models equipped with MBUX will have the option to join a beta program and activate ChatGPT functionality. Users can simply inform their car of their interest by saying, “Hey Mercedes, I want to join the beta program.”
While it remains unclear why exactly this AI agent is being integrated into cars, which are typically confined to specific functionalities such as driving, navigation, and media control, Mercedes highlights the versatility of ChatGPT. The large language model is known for its ability to engage in natural language conversations, summarize content, generate code, or even assist with writing wedding vows. However, the practical use cases for these capabilities while driving are questionable.
Mercedes describes the addition of ChatGPT as an enhancement to their voice assistant, allowing users to receive more comprehensive answers to queries about their destination, recipe suggestions, or complex questions while keeping their hands on the wheel and eyes on the road.
Despite the potential benefits, it is evident that privacy concerns may arise. Although Mercedes claims to anonymize and analyze the voice command data collected in the Mercedes-Benz Intelligent Cloud, the company retains and utilizes user conversations. The insights gained from the beta program will aid Mercedes-Benz developers in refining voice control and expanding the rollout of large language models to other markets and languages.
While the integration of ChatGPT into Mercedes vehicles may seem like an unconventional move, it could be a strategic decision to offload voice interface services to a third-party provider, such as OpenAI. The collaboration between Mercedes-Benz and OpenAI, powered by Microsoft AI, reflects an interesting partnership in the advancement of conversational AI technology in automotive settings.
