Empowering Mercedes drivers: voice control enhancement on the horizon with ChatGPT integration

Mercedes-Benz a German luxury and commercial vehicle automotive brand is expanding its use of artificial intelligence (AI) by integrating voice control into the system of its vehicles. Through the addition of ChatGPT, the "Hey Mercedes" MBUX Voice Assistant will become even more intuitive. Starting from June 16, 2023, a beta program will be available to over 900,000 vehicles equipped with the MBUX infotainment system in the United States.

To participate in the beta program, customers can join through the Mercedes me app or directly from their vehicles by using the voice command, "Hey Mercedes, I want to join the beta program." The rollout of the program will be done over-the-air. Mercedes-Benz is incorporating ChatGPT through Azure OpenAI Service, leveraging the robust capabilities of Microsoft's cloud and AI platform.

Enhancement of Voice Control with "Hey Mercedes"

The Mercedes-Benz MBUX Voice Assistant has already established itself as an industry leader, known for its intuitive operation and wide range of commands. Customers can receive updates on sports and weather, ask questions about their surroundings, and even control smart functions.

ChatGPT complements the existing voice control system with "Hey Mercedes." While most voice assistants are limited to predefined tasks and responses, ChatGPT utilizes a large language model to significantly improve natural language understanding and expand the range of topics it can respond to.

Mercedes-Benz combines the strengths of both systems by enhancing the validated data of the MBUX Voice Assistant with the more conversational format of ChatGPT. Users will have an assistant that not only understands natural voice commands but can also engage in conversations. Soon, participants who ask the Voice Assistant for details about their destination, suggest a new dinner recipe, or seek answers to complex questions will receive more comprehensive responses while keeping their focus on driving.

Data Privacy Assurance by Mercedes-Benz

The collaboration with Microsoft enables the integration of ChatGPT. Through Azure OpenAI Service, Mercedes-Benz leverages OpenAI's advanced generative AI models and combines them with the enterprise-grade security, privacy, and reliability capabilities of Azure. Mercedes-Benz maintains full control over the underlying IT processes. The voice command data collected is stored in the Mercedes-Benz Intelligent Cloud, where it is anonymized and analyzed.

Data protection is of utmost importance to Mercedes-Benz. Customers are always informed about the collected information and its purpose, and they have the freedom to make their own decisions. Mercedes-Benz ensures the safeguarding of all customer data against manipulation and misuse.

Mercedes-Benz offers its customers the opportunity to be early adopters of the latest technologies in their vehicles. The beta program will be focused on the United States and is expected to last for three months. In return, Mercedes-Benz developers will gain valuable insights into specific user requests, enabling them to prioritize the further development of voice control features. The findings from the beta program will be used to further enhance the intuitive voice assistant and define the rollout strategy for large language models in more markets and languages.

ChatGPT in Line with Mercedes-Benz AI Principles

GPT stands for "Generative Pre-trained Transformer," which refers to a family of large language models trained to create or summarize texts, answer questions, translate

Mercedes-Benz is committed to integrating ChatGPT in a manner that aligns with its AI principles, ensuring that the advantages of innovative AI solutions are accessible to its customers.

The company maintains a vigilant focus on identifying and mitigating potential risks, and the system will undergo continuous improvements for the benefit of all users. Mercedes-Benz places a top priority on taking a responsible approach to generative AI solutions.