- Automakers are embracing AI and adding ‘living’ avatars to their vehicles.
- Ford’s CEO recently said everyone should have an AI assistant in their car.
- Latest versions are billed as companions, rather than simple voice assistants.
Artificial intelligence is becoming harder to avoid, and it’s now steering its way into cars, whether you asked for it or not. What was once the domain of infotainment menus and simple voice commands is evolving into something more conversational, more integrated, and likely more intrusive.
Last month, Ford CEO Jim Farley said AI assistants are “very important” and every customer should have one in their car. He went on to suggest their version would transcend the typical voice assistant and be something you can talk to like a companion.
Talking Cars
Ford’s not alone in this effort as a number of companies have been rolling out AI-powered assistants. Perhaps the best known example is Amazon’s Alexa+, which is billed as their “smartest, most proactive AI assistant yet.”
More: MINI Introduces Spike As The Brand’s New Personal Assistant
While Alexa+ is certainly more conversational than its robotic predecessor, it’s not exactly the sharpest tool in the shed. A few weeks ago, I inquired about the weather and was randomly told snow wasn’t in the forecast… in the middle of summer.
Do We Need a Digital Friend?
On the automotive side, companies are getting creative about how they present these assistants, introducing avatars such as Mini’s Spike. It’s an animated dog that acts as an intelligent personal assistant and is described as a “virtual travel partner.”
More: The Bird’s The Word For Nissan’s New AI Companion
Mercedes has also gone down this route with their new MBUX Virtual Assistant, which is a “living avatar” that takes the form of a star. The CLA also embraces ChatGPT and Google Gemini, because one AI apparently isn’t enough.
While those are just a few examples, do you want an AI companion in your car? I couldn’t care less as I’ve never found the need to use a voice assistant in my personal vehicles.
That said, I have used a number of different systems in test vehicles and they certainly provide some useful benefits. One of the most common examples is entering a destination or finding nearby stops, such as a gas station or restaurant.
They’re also convenient when you just want to say “play country music” instead of flipping through channels yourself. They can also be used to adjust vehicle settings without having to take your hands off the steering wheel, though many still stumble on the finer details.
So, as automakers push harder into AI-driven interaction, the question lingers: do you really want an avatar or a chatty algorithm riding shotgun in your next vehicle?
