Volkswagen brings ChatGPT into compact cars

Volkswagen presented its first vehicles featuring a voice assistant that integrates ChatGPT Technology at the CES electronics trade fair in Las Vegas on Monday, enabling drivers to have researched content read to them during their drive.

The chatbot, integrated via a partnership with Cerence Inc., can control Entertainment in the car and answer general knowledge questions. In future, it could converse with drivers and interact in other ways, the carmaker said in a statement.

Volkswagen said it was the first volume manufacturer to make the Technology a standard feature in its compact segment cars. GM said in March last year it was working on a virtual personal assistant using AI models behind ChatGPT.

Mercedes-Benz ran a test programme last June enabling around 900,000 vehicles which had the automaker's "MBUX" system to download ChatGPT, with the view of users eventually being able to carry out tasks like making movie or restaurant reservations from behind the wheel.