Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution/GM
General Motors is the first carmaker to invest aggressively in ChatGPT technology. The carmaker is working together with software giant Microsoft on a vehicle chatbot that would serve as an evolved version of digital assistants.
Eventually, the new technology could replace the traditional owner’s manual.
Digital assistants are already available in cars, as Google, Apple, and Amazon offer their technology both on mobile devices or directly integrated into the dashboard. Android Automotive-powered cars ship with Google Assistant built-in, therefore getting access to more vehicle functions, such as the air conditioning system.
General Motors wants to overhaul the digital assistant concept with ChatGPT-like technology. The company is working on a personal assistant that would be installed in its vehicles to provide not only typical digital assistant capabilities but also double as a virtual mechanic.
The carmaker wants the chatbot to have full access to the vehicle and therefore be able to read fault codes when they occur. Whenever a certain light shows up on the dashboard, the new assistant would be able to provide recommendations to the driver. For example, the chatbot would be able to determine if it’s safe for the driver to continue the journey or go to the closest repair shop for urgent servicing.
If the vehicle gets a flat tire, the digital assistant can provide a video tutorial on how to change it based on information collected from tire sensors. The guide would play on the display on the dashboard, assisting the driver as they try to change the tire.
The chatbot would include full details on vehicle functions, being able to provide the same information you’d normally find in the owner’s manual.
The digital assistant would be offered at the vehicle level, so it wouldn’t require a mobile device to run. General Motors is working on the technology with Microsoft, the software company that purchased an exclusive license over the ChatGPT engine. General Motors has been working with Microsoft since 2021, but the work on this project is likely just a few months old.
Microsoft has already released ChatGPT-powered capabilities in the Bing chatbot, and GM’s implementation will be based on a similar approach. In addition, General Motors is training the chatbot to learn the automotive language. As such, the assistant should support car talk but also use generic terms to help everyone understand what it means.
The chatbot is considered a high-priority project for General Motors, and the company has remained completely tight-lipped regarding its release date. The first vehicles equipped with the chatbot are expected to launch in late 2023 or 2024. It’s not clear if the company has picked a name for this technology, but most likely, such information will surface as we approach the release date.
Digital assistants are already available in cars, as Google, Apple, and Amazon offer their technology both on mobile devices or directly integrated into the dashboard. Android Automotive-powered cars ship with Google Assistant built-in, therefore getting access to more vehicle functions, such as the air conditioning system.
General Motors wants to overhaul the digital assistant concept with ChatGPT-like technology. The company is working on a personal assistant that would be installed in its vehicles to provide not only typical digital assistant capabilities but also double as a virtual mechanic.
The carmaker wants the chatbot to have full access to the vehicle and therefore be able to read fault codes when they occur. Whenever a certain light shows up on the dashboard, the new assistant would be able to provide recommendations to the driver. For example, the chatbot would be able to determine if it’s safe for the driver to continue the journey or go to the closest repair shop for urgent servicing.
If the vehicle gets a flat tire, the digital assistant can provide a video tutorial on how to change it based on information collected from tire sensors. The guide would play on the display on the dashboard, assisting the driver as they try to change the tire.
The chatbot would include full details on vehicle functions, being able to provide the same information you’d normally find in the owner’s manual.
The digital assistant would be offered at the vehicle level, so it wouldn’t require a mobile device to run. General Motors is working on the technology with Microsoft, the software company that purchased an exclusive license over the ChatGPT engine. General Motors has been working with Microsoft since 2021, but the work on this project is likely just a few months old.
Microsoft has already released ChatGPT-powered capabilities in the Bing chatbot, and GM’s implementation will be based on a similar approach. In addition, General Motors is training the chatbot to learn the automotive language. As such, the assistant should support car talk but also use generic terms to help everyone understand what it means.
The chatbot is considered a high-priority project for General Motors, and the company has remained completely tight-lipped regarding its release date. The first vehicles equipped with the chatbot are expected to launch in late 2023 or 2024. It’s not clear if the company has picked a name for this technology, but most likely, such information will surface as we approach the release date.
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