General Motors is planning to power vehicles with an AI assistant, backed by OpenAI’s ChatGPT technology. The automaker said it could use ChatGPT to help its customers to access information on how to use vehicle features and program functions such as garage doors, or other smart features, a company executive told Reuters on Monday.
GM Vice President Scott Miller said in an interview with Reuters said, “ChatGPT is going to be in everything.” He further added, “This shift is not just about one single capability like the evolution of voice commands, but instead means that customers can expect their future vehicles to be far more capable and fresh overall when it comes to emerging technologies.”
The company is in the process to develop an AI assistant with an additional car-specific layer on top of the OpenAI model, which will make the assistant behave differently than widely used ChatGPT or Bing Chat. The technology may enable drivers to simply ask the car what to do when there is a fault, and it will guide them through the process.
The news comes as GM explores uses for ChatGPT as part of its broader collaboration with Microsoft. In 2021, the automaker partnered with Microsoft to accelerate the commercialization of driverless vehicles. Cruise and General Motors announced that they have entered a long-term strategic relationship with the tech giant to accelerate the commercialization of self-driving vehicles. During the partnership, the company will bring together its software and hardware engineering excellence, cloud computing capabilities, manufacturing know-how, and partner ecosystem to transform transportation to create a safer, cleaner, and more accessible world for everyone.
Meanwhile, in June last year, General Motors also made an undisclosed “strategic investment” in Israeli startup UVeye, which makes vehicle diagnostic systems that use sensors and AI to quickly identify damaged parts or maintenance issues.
On the other hand, Microsoft has been working towards embedding more technology in vehicles, from infotainment systems to automated driving to operating systems that control battery performance and multiple other functions of a vehicle.
Earlier in January, Microsoft announced a “multimillion-dollar investment” in OpenAI. While the actual amount and terms of the deal were unclear, some reports suggest that Microsoft will invest $10 billion in OpenAI.
