Mercedes launches 'dialogue partner' voice assistant
Technology
New voice assistant will converse with drivers.
Las Vegas (Reuters) - Mercedes-Benz has launched a new virtual assistant at the CES electronics trade fair on Monday capable of providing context-based suggestions and engaging in dialogue with users, signalling another step forward in the use of artificial intelligence in cars.
The assistant can speak in different tones of various emotions and ask intelligent questions to clarify what exactly is being asked, the company said.
"The car is your dialogue partner. You can ask questions, have a conversation, and be productive," Mercedes' chief technology officer, Markus Schaefer, said at a press roundtable in Las Vegas.
Also read: Volkswagen's vehicles to converse with drivers via ChatGPT by mid-year
The assistant will be rolled out in vehicles, including the new concept CLA class, an all-electric take on the carmaker’s smaller four-door model, premiering in North America at the trade show.
Mercedes-Benz said an added feature of its new voice assistant is a plausibility check for the responses it provides.
It will check recommendations via data in the cloud and customers' self-reporting when, for example, a recommended restaurant or shop has closed down.
"We feel that we have an obligation if we put something in the car where you can trust the information," Schaefer said.
Volkswagen also presented its first vehicles featuring a voice assistant that integrates ChatGPT technology, enabling drivers to have researched content read to them during their drive.
Panasonic Automotive has also introduced its new system, named 'Neuron', which could help reduce the cost, weight, and integration complexity of vehicles by removing redundant components.
Voice assistant technology in cars is becoming increasingly sophisticated, from the use of personalised avatars to generative AI technology.
Amid the worldwide shift to electric vehicles, with hardware less complex and variable than that of combustion-engine cars, automakers are looking to distinguish themselves from competitors on their software offerings, an area where suppliers are seeking to help them.
EVs have also helped give rise to so-called software-defined vehicles that can be upgraded wirelessly.
