In the auto world—like in just about every other industry—”AI” is the buzzword of the day. Car companies have been touting new and upcoming artificial intelligence-powered features ever since ChatGPT exploded onto the scene a couple of years ago. Some sound more promising than others.
Mercedes-Benz has embraced AI more openly than most peers. It piloted ChatGPT integration in some cars starting last year, then deployed a “general knowledge” function underpinned by OpenAI’s large-language model to millions of vehicles.
On Monday, Mercedes announced a new AI feature that may prove a lot more useful than the ability to pepper ChatGPT with silly questions. The German automaker will launch a “conversational navigation” feature powered by Google Cloud’s new “Automotive AI Agent.” We got the download on the new feature from Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Källenius during an event at the automaker’s Silicon Valley research center.
The result, Mercedes says, is a voice assistant that owners can naturally converse with about destinations like restaurants and charging stations. You can already direct Mercedes’ existing MBUX Virtual Assistant to route to a particular point of interest. But in the next generation of the company’s infotainment suite, Google’s Automotive AI Agent, backed by its Gemini chatbot, will be able to respond to more open-ended questions while mining Google Maps’ vast database of reviews and information about destinations.
So, the current Mercedes assistant will oblige if you say something simple like, “Find me the nearest Olive Garden.” The Google-enhanced one will be able to field more complex queries like, “Where’s the best place to pound bread sticks until I feel ill?” Or so I assume. I wasn’t able to try out the assistant myself, as it hasn’t launched yet.
Mercedes’ own examples are, understandably, classier. During our preview last week, Mercedes played a video in which Källenius interacts with the new system. The back and forth went like this:
Källenius: Hey Mercedes, I’m a little hungry. Any suggestions for dinner in Vegas?
Mercedes: I’ve got you covered. The SW Steakhouse serves prime steaks and seafood and offers a classic and elegant dining experience.
Källenius: You know what? I would actually prefer some good Italian food. Oh, and by the way, I would also like to charge my car.
Mercedes: Say no more. In this case, Carbone seems to be a great choice. It is known for its bold flavors. It has very high ratings, and customers love the stylish atmosphere. I’ve also found a good parking option close by that has available fast charging stations.
The new capability will debut in the upcoming Mercedes CLA. The CLA will be the first product to use Mercedes’ next-generation electrical architecture, EV platform and MB.OS 1.0 software. After that, the conversational navigation program will be deployed to “millions” of cars Mercedes has on the road already via an over-the-air software update, Källenius said.
This doesn’t mean ChatGPT is going anywhere, though. The two AI systems will handle different tasks, Källenius told InsideEVs. The handoff between them will be seamless and behind the scenes, he said. From the customer point of view, all you do is say “Hey Mercedes” and ask a question. It’s all integrated into the brand’s existing voice control system.
Here’s some more about how the feature works and what you can ask it, from Mercedes’ press release:
With the enhanced search and navigation experience, users can converse naturally with the MBUX Virtual Assistant and get answers to questions like: “Could you guide me to the nearest fine-dining restaurant for a unique culinary experience?”. Users can also ask follow-up questions, like: “Does the restaurant have good reviews?” or “What is the chef’s signature dish?”
Google Cloud’s Automotive AI Agent will also enable the MBUX Virtual Assistant to handle complex, multi-turn dialog and can retain memory of conversations, which means users can continue conversations and reference information throughout their drives.
I asked Källenius if Mercedes is planning any kind of consumer education around this and other AI features. Despite all the hype around AI, many people—maybe most—haven’t quite figured out how to incorporate AI assistants into their daily lives. The key there, he said, is to make features easy to use.
“Sometimes, as a joke, I tell the engineering team that works on this: It needs to be so easy that either a five-year-old kid or board member of Mercedes-Benz can operate it,” he said. “If you meet that criteria, then people intuitively and easily will find out how to operate it.”
If it’s as natural as Mercedes claims it is, I could see this feature being helpful in situations when you’re driving and can’t just Google something on your phone. In particular, if it can smooth over the process of sifting through charging stations on the go, that would be huge. Many automakers offer voice control features, but they’re often limited and clunky.
But what do you think? Would you use Mercedes’ “conversational navigation?” Let us know in the comments below.
Contact the author: Tim.Levin@InsideEVs.com