We all know that artificial intelligence is here to stay and transform the way we relate to the world. It’s not just ChatGPT, now it wants to change our way of driving. Will it be for the better?
On Tuesday, navigation company TomTom announced that it is developing an AI-powered driving assistant in collaboration with Microsoft. The voice assistant will be based on Microsoft’s Azure OpenAI service, which was launched in January.
“Drivers will be able to have natural conversations with their vehicle and ask the AI-powered assistant to navigate to a specific location, find specific stops along their route, and vocally control onboard systems to, for example, increase the temperature, open the windows, or change the radio station,” says the press release from TomTom.
A technology that can make our life on the road easier
“Along with Microsoft, our shared vision is to drive innovation with generative AI and provide even better solutions to our customers,” said TomTom’s Chief Revenue Officer, Mike Schoofs.
“Taking advantage of our experience in navigation and technology, we are creating a new innovative way for people to interact with their vehicles. With both companies integrating what they do best into a single solution, we are transforming the in-car experience, allowing drivers to request anything from their car and trust that it will be delivered,” explained the company spokesperson.
This is not the first integration of an AI voice assistant we see in cars. Earlier this year, Mercedes announced a beta program that integrates ChatGPT with the car’s MBUX voice control system. That three-month program is also powered by Microsoft.
Meanwhile, Alexa, Apple AirPlay, Android Auto, and Siri have also entered the voice assistant game, although it should be noted that their AI is not generative like Microsoft’s.
The TomTom press release does not include information about when this new voice assistant could be available to the public. However, it seems like it could be as early as 2024.
