Volkswagen is entering into the ChatGPT sport. The German automaker introduced Monday at CES 2024 in Las Vegas plans so as to add an AI-powered chatbot into all Volkswagen fashions geared up with its IDA voice assistant.

Why? For drivers who need an AI-based chatbot to learn researched content material out loud to them, in fact.

The AI-based chatbot, which is predicated on software program firm Cerence’s Chat Professional product, will roll out within the second quarter, beginning with Europe. Fashions getting the AI chatbot embrace Volkswagen’s line of EVs such because the ID.7, ID.4, ID.5, ID.3 in addition to its new Tiguan, Passat and Golf automobiles.

For now, Volkswagen fashions in america gained’t have the function. Volkswagen mentioned it was “being thought-about.”

ChatGPT is a text-generating AI chatbot developed by OpenAI, an organization that has launched into the stratosphere of buzzy tech startups over the previous yr. Volkswagen is actually the most important automaker so far to make plans to combine ChatGPT into its automobiles. However it’s not the primary. Mercedes-Benz added the conversational AI-bot to its MBUX infotainment system final June.

Like Mercedes, Volkswagen has built-in ChatGPT into the backend of its IDA voice assistant, which drivers can use to manage the infotainment, navigation and air con, or to reply normal data questions.

ChatGPT will push past these primary capabilities, Volkswagen says, providing up examples like “Enriching conversations, clearing up questions, interacting in intuitive language, receiving vehicle-specific data, and way more—purely hands-free.”

As soon as the function is launched, drivers will work together with the IDA voice assistant as they’ve earlier than. The voice assistant is activated with the “Hiya IDA” wake phrase or by urgent the button on the steering wheel. If the voice assistant can’t deal with the request — one thing past, Hey IDA what’s the climate forecast? — it is going to be forwarded anonymously to AI. The response will come by way of the IDA voice assistant so drivers could not even know when ChatGPT is and isn’t in use.  

ChatGPT could also be just the start for Volkswagen. Cerence CEO Stefan Ortmanns mentioned the 2 corporations will “discover collaboration to design a brand new, giant language mannequin (LLM)-based person expertise as the idea of Volkswagen’s next-generation in-car assistant.”

It ought to be famous that this rollout is separate from what Cariad, the software program arm of guardian firm VW Group, is engaged on. Cariad was shaped in 2020 to unravel VW’s struggles with software program. Nevertheless, that unit has had its personal challenges up to now yr together with a delayed software program launch and an government shakeup.