In the ongoing saga of the intertwining paths of artificial intelligence and the auto industry, Mercedes-Benz is taking it up a notch. Buckle up, folks, because the automotive giant is embedding OpenAI’s language model, ChatGPT, into their vehicles. You heard that right – your car will soon be your conversation partner. Perhaps a more knowledgeable one at that.
Now, this isn’t just your run-of-the-mill “I’m sorry, I didn’t catch that” voice command system. The idea is to create a more natural, fluid interaction between the car and the driver, or anyone else who happens to be onboard. The system is designed to remember the context of the conversation and engage in a back-and-forth dialogue. So you could ask your car for a quick guacamole recipe or the optimal time for that Colorado vacation, and it would respond accordingly.
ChatGPT’s functionality isn’t confined to the car. It can interact with other applications, which means it can help you reserve a table at your favorite restaurant or snag movie tickets. The beta program for this system kicks off on June 16, with Mercedes owners in the US who have the MBUX “infotainment” system being able to join by simply saying “Hey Mercedes, I want to join the beta program.” Neat, isn’t it?
But let’s not forget the other side of the coin. ChatGPT has been a useful tool for research, essay writing, and even stock picking on the internet. At the same time, it’s been known to give less than helpful responses to people in crisis. So it’s not without its foibles. And while automakers have been pushing voice command systems as safer alternatives to touchscreens and buttons – after all, you don’t need to take your eyes off the road – research shows that mental processing for voice commands can still be a distraction. So, as always, the real world application might be a mixed bag.
