Mercedes Benz to add ChatGPT into its cars

CNN tweeted: “Mercedes-Benz and Microsoft have agreed to add ChatGPT to Mercedes-Benz cars in the US.”

“When I started driving in the 1990s, I thought I was living in the future. My first car had everything I needed: a built-in radio, lights that light up when you open the door, windows that can be pulled down with a crank, a clock, and even a machine like an air conditioner for hot days.”, Richard begins the story of Mercedes bringing ChatGPT into their car.

Cafex.biz is excited to share how Mercedes-Benz integrated ChatGPT through Azure OpenAI Service to transform the in-car experience for drivers. Mercedes-Benz takes voice control to the next level with Azure OpenAI Service.

The optional beta program will begin June 16, 2023, in the United States for more than 900,000 Mercedes-Benz vehicles equipped with the MBUX(Mercedes-Benz User Experience) infotainment system: all vehicles with MBUX of the A 238, C 118, C series models 167, C 238, C 253, C 254, C 257, H 247, N 293, R 232, S 213, V 167, V 177, V 295, V 297, W 206, W 213, WV 223, X 167, X 243, X 247, X 253, X 254, X 294, X 296, Z 223 and Z 296.

It will initially be available in a three-month test program for US customers on selected vehicles, but Mercedes says it will consider a broader and longer-term rollout in the future. To join the program on a selected model, say to the car's built-in voice assistant, "Hey Mercedes, I'd like to join the beta program." or through the Mercedes Me app.

How to use ChatGPT in Mercedes cars

Opting into the beta program featuring MBUX Voice Assistant's "Hey Mercedes", US drivers will have a more intuitive and conversational experience. Upgrades include:

Enhanced voice commands and interactions: ChatGPT enables more dynamic conversations, allowing customers to experience a voice assistant that understands voice commands and participates in conversation interaction.

Task scalability: Whether users need information about destinations, recipes, or answers to complex questions, the enhanced voice assistant provides comprehensive answers, and allows the driver to drive and observe the road at the same time.

Ask contextual follow-up questions: Unlike standard voice assistants that often ask for specific commands, ChatGPT excels at handling follow-up questions and maintaining contextual understanding. Drivers can ask complex questions or engage in conversations multiple times, and get detailed and relevant answers from the voice assistant.

Although long conversations on the road can lead to distraction while driving. The reality, however, is that when it comes to ChatGPT's quick responses, it can perhaps even reduce driving risks more since you won't want to look up at your phone while behind the wheel.

Integration with third-party services: Mercedes-Benz is exploring the ChatGPT plugin ecosystem, which will open up the possibility of integration with many third-party services. The service allows drivers to complete tasks such as restaurant reservations, movie ticket bookings, and more, using natural voice commands, further enhancing convenience and productivity on the road.

With a three-month pilot program, Mercedes-Benz customers can be the first to use this groundbreaking technology. Based on the new features of the beta program and customer feedback, Mercedes-Benz will consider further integrating this technology into future versions of their MBUX Voice Assistant while maintaining the highest standards of customer privacy on and off the road.

With Microsoft, Mercedes-Benz is paving the way for a more connected, intelligent and personalized driving experience, while driving the automotive industry through AI and Azure OpenAI Service.

Customer privacy protection

Data protection is a top priority for Mercedes-Benz. Customers always know what information is being collected and for what purposes, and they are free to make their own decisions. Mercedes-Benz protects all customer data from manipulation and misuse.

Mercedes-Benz retains complete control over IT processes in the background. The collected voice command data is stored in the Mercedes-Benz smart cloud, where the data is anonymized and analyzed. In other words, assume people will listen to your recordings for training and data analysis, so be cautious about saying anything personal or personally identifiable.

Mercedes-Benz offers customers the opportunity to try out the latest technologies in their vehicles as early adopters. The US-focused beta program is expected to last three months. In turn, Mercedes-Benz developers will gain useful insights on specific requirements, allowing them to set precise priorities during further development of voice control. The findings from the beta program will be used to further improve the visual voice assistant and define deployment strategies for major language models in other markets and languages.