The ongoing 2024 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas is playing a huge role in the ever-increasing complexity of cars. Volkswagen is no exception to this as the company is set to introduce a new version of its infotainment–headlined by the fact that it will come with ChatGPT embedded into the system.
Volkswagen’s latest infotainment system, which is called MIB4, will soon be embedded with OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which the German automaker says will be ready by the second half of 2024. The MIB4 infotainment debuted in the ID.7 midsize electric sedan, and the infotainment system has since been rolled out to other models, including the upcoming mid-cycle facelift of the Volkswagen Golf.
ChatGPT’s role in Volkswagen vehicles will be to augment the voice assistant capabilities of its infotainment system. The voice assistant, which is called IDA, won’t just be able to control some of the vehicle’s amenities and features, but also provide conversations and answer general questions that a typical built-in voice assistant wouldn’t be able to do.
If you’re wondering how ChatGPT is supposed to improve the usability of a vehicle, especially since this AI feature is mostly meant for answering questions as opposed to improving the driving experience, well, you’re not alone. Volkswagen states that having ChatGPT augment IDA’s capabilities “can be helpful on many levels during a car journey: Enriching conversations, clearing up questions, interacting in intuitive language, receiving vehicle-specific information, and much more – purely hands-free.”
Volkswagen is also clear to point out that OpenAI won’t have access to your driving habits or even any of the vehicle’s data. The German automaker says that questions and answers are “deleted immediately to ensure the highest possible level of data protection.”
“Volkswagen has always democratized technology and made it accessible to the many. This is simply ingrained in our DNA. As a result, we are now the first volume manufacturer to make this innovative technology a standard feature in vehicles from the compact segment upwards. Thanks to the seamless integration of ChatGPT and strong collaboration with our partner, Cerence, we are offering our drivers added value and direct access to the AI-based research tool. This also underlines the innovative strength of our new products,” says Kai Grünitz, Member of the Board of Management Volkswagen Brand for Technical Development.
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