ChatGPT gives Volkswagen cars the smarts to talk to you all day long

Volkswagen ChatGPT
(Image credit: Volkswagen)

Volkswagen has upgraded the voice assistant in its cars to be a lot more talkative than before, thanks to the power of ChatGPT. OpenAI’s conversational companion has been integrated across VW vehicles as promised back at CES, including the newest Jettas and electric cars. 

ChatGPT is more of an upgrade than a complete reworking of VW’s infotainment center. The chatbot relies on VW’s long-time voice AI partner, Cerence, and the Cerence Chat Pro platform to enhance VW’s existing Ida voice assistant. The result goes well beyond the usual navigation and climate controls. Leveraging OpenAI’s creation, a driver can get everything from local entertainment suggestions to a spontaneous trivia quiz. 

Volkswagen’s upgraded voice assistant offers a more intuitive user experience. Activated by phrases such as “Hello IDA” or “Hello Volkswagen,” depending on the vehicle, drivers and passengers can now interact with their cars in a more casual way. If Ida can’t help you, it connects to the cloud, where Cerence Chat Pro processes the query. This cloud-based system taps into multiple databases and sources, including ChatGPT, to answer your question.

"We are proud to partner with Volkswagen Group to deliver immediate value to their drivers as they look to leverage generative AI while on the go," Cerence CEO Stefan Ortmanns said. "These new capabilities – which will continue to expand – make the IDA voice assistant more knowledgeable, capable, and valuable than ever and enable a safer and more enjoyable journey."

Voice Clone of Your Own

One important element is how the voice assistant deals with data privacy. Volkswagen emphasized that the AI does not access sensitive vehicle data and that all session data is deleted immediately after each use. Most 2025 Volkswagen models will include the subscription as a free trial when they hit the market. Others will require you to subscribe to VW’s Plus Speech with AI, part of Volkswagen’s Car-Net system to begin with, but that could change as ChatGPT becomes embedded in more VW vehicles.

Voice assistants are a common feature in modern vehicles. But VW sees ChatGPT as more than just a minor perk. A more advanced solution than traditional voice assistants could help entice those looking for an AI that can handle natural conversations while driving. Though Mercedes-Benz and other carmakers are experimenting with ChatGPT and other generative AI models for their voice assistants, VW’s early adoption might keep it ahead in the endless race to win new car buyers.

“Volkswagen has a long tradition of democratizing technologies. As a volume manufacturer, we make these technologies accessible to large numbers of people,” Volkswagen Brand Board of Management member Kai Grünitz explained in a statement this summer. ”By seamlessly integrating ChatGPT into the backend of our voice assistant, we are now offering drivers the opportunity to use this artificial intelligence on a daily basis, thus underlining how innovative our products are.”

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Eric Hal Schwartz
Contributor

Eric Hal Schwartz is a freelance writer for TechRadar with more than 15 years of experience covering the intersection of the world and technology. For the last five years, he served as head writer for Voicebot.ai and was on the leading edge of reporting on generative AI and large language models. He's since become an expert on the products of generative AI models, such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Anthropic’s Claude, Google Gemini, and every other synthetic media tool. His experience runs the gamut of media, including print, digital, broadcast, and live events. Now, he's continuing to tell the stories people want and need to hear about the rapidly evolving AI space and its impact on their lives. Eric is based in New York City.

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