Photo: DS
Less than a year ago humans went nuts over the launch of a chatbot the likes of which the world had never seen before. Everybody was talking about ChatGPT, everybody was testing it, some feared it, but very few actually ignored it. Then, as its limitations became obvious, interest in the bot died down significantly.
That would be public interest, of course, as the tool still exists and is widely used in certain fields. And in the hands of some people, activating in diverse areas, from market research to even creating computer code, it can probably work wonders. But can one really use ChatGPT in a car for any significant purpose?
For a while now carmakers have begun trying to include chatbots in their vehicles, if for no other reason than just as a means to ride the hype wave.
One of the most recent companies we've learned is planning to do so is Kia, which announced its intention of launching a chatbot-based mobile app (for both iOS and Android) that's meant to "help customers with their questions and provide quick responses."
The first car that will support the system is the 2024 EV3, but Kia did not specifically say which of the many chatbots will form the basis for its assistant.
French carmaker DS on the other hand makes no secret of the fact its choice is ChatGPT, and it will go deeper than just ebing integrated into an app. It announced this week it will embed the tech in the Iris infotainment system deployed on the DS 3, DS 4, DS 7, and DS 9.
Just like in the case of Kia and all the others, the chatbot will not bring with it a revolution in terms of driver assistance systems, as it will technically not aid with anything that has to do with actual driving or vehicle operation and state.
It will, however, allow people to "enjoy a revolutionary conversational experience onboard the vehicle." I'm not entirely sure how large is the pool of people who get so bored behind the wheel that they need an AI to chat to, but DS seems to think it's large enough to be worth it.
From my point of view, this "revolutionary conversational experience" is totally useless, as even those who find it appealing at first will eventually get bored of it. The only thing of real value the chatbot will bring inside DS cars is the fact it will offer "access to useful information."
The French company is however very cheap in details as to what that means exactly. It does hint though that it could suggest places to visit, for instance.
DS takes great pride, of course, in being the first carmaker in Europe to integrate ChatGPT in the infotainment system it uses, and to mark the moment it will offer it free of charge but only for the next six months, starting October 19, 2023 (and for just 20,000 people as a sort of pilot run). After that, it will probably no longer be free, but we're not told exactly how much it will cost.
For a while now carmakers have begun trying to include chatbots in their vehicles, if for no other reason than just as a means to ride the hype wave.
One of the most recent companies we've learned is planning to do so is Kia, which announced its intention of launching a chatbot-based mobile app (for both iOS and Android) that's meant to "help customers with their questions and provide quick responses."
The first car that will support the system is the 2024 EV3, but Kia did not specifically say which of the many chatbots will form the basis for its assistant.
French carmaker DS on the other hand makes no secret of the fact its choice is ChatGPT, and it will go deeper than just ebing integrated into an app. It announced this week it will embed the tech in the Iris infotainment system deployed on the DS 3, DS 4, DS 7, and DS 9.
Just like in the case of Kia and all the others, the chatbot will not bring with it a revolution in terms of driver assistance systems, as it will technically not aid with anything that has to do with actual driving or vehicle operation and state.
It will, however, allow people to "enjoy a revolutionary conversational experience onboard the vehicle." I'm not entirely sure how large is the pool of people who get so bored behind the wheel that they need an AI to chat to, but DS seems to think it's large enough to be worth it.
From my point of view, this "revolutionary conversational experience" is totally useless, as even those who find it appealing at first will eventually get bored of it. The only thing of real value the chatbot will bring inside DS cars is the fact it will offer "access to useful information."
The French company is however very cheap in details as to what that means exactly. It does hint though that it could suggest places to visit, for instance.
DS takes great pride, of course, in being the first carmaker in Europe to integrate ChatGPT in the infotainment system it uses, and to mark the moment it will offer it free of charge but only for the next six months, starting October 19, 2023 (and for just 20,000 people as a sort of pilot run). After that, it will probably no longer be free, but we're not told exactly how much it will cost.
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