Mercedes-Benz vehicles like the new CLA will have conversational navigation features powered by … [+]
Talking with your car is becoming the norm.
Mercedes-Benz announced Monday a partnership with Google to bring AI-based conversations to the built-in navigation system. The Automotive AI Agent (part of Google Cloud) will be able to find destinations based on specific queries along with charging stations and other mapping needs.
The new CLA series will be the first vehicle with Mercedes’ new MB.OS operating system that offers the new Google-backed AI tools. The natural conversation with the MBUX Virtual Assistant will now pull info from Google’s AI service, Gemini, so you can ask Google Maps more conversational queries such as, ‘Where is the closest restaurant with vegan options?” And then you can follow up with, “What’s the top-rated dish there?” or “When does the restaurant close?” after it brings up a suggestion. Directions will be pulled up on the front screen.
The CLA series will be the first to offer this AI mapping assistance later this year.
At Mercedes’ Research & Development facility in Sunnyvale, California last week CEO Ola Källenius explained how the partnership works. “We are the architects of our software stack,” he said. “Google is the cloud provider.” Källenius assured the Gemini features would be free to Mercedes owners, but that possible subscription structuring would be likely for the complete AI and other tech packages.
Mercedes users will stay inside the Mercedes digital ecosystem, primarily through the Mercedes me app, with no need to sign into Google to use the generative AI features in Google Maps, which is already used for navigation.
Lob your general knowledge questions to the Mercedes voice assistant and ChatGPT will provide … [+]
While ChatGPT through Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service was recently introduced to the MBUX Voice Assistant system last month for more general knowledge questions after a 2023 beta with the AI chatbot, the new integration is intended to put the “info” in “infotainment.”
Källenius reiterated that it’s intended to be a smooth integration. “It needs to be so easy to use don’t have to learn,” he said. “You can just talk to the [gen AI].” The classic “wake word” of “Hey, Mercedes” will be the access point to the service. Eventually you’ll be able to just start talking to the car and it’ll pick up that you want answers, but for now you need to alert the vehicle. You can also push a button on the steering wheel or through the touchscreen to access the AI assistant.
As AI assistance becomes more capable in the car, it has evolved from only understanding simple, single inputs that follow a structured query to understanding multiple requests in one question while using natural, everyday language (“Hey, Mercedes, where can I take my mom for her 80th birthday that isn’t too loud but also has a kids’ menu for the grandkids?”).
Chatting with the car through Google is coming first with Mercedes, but the German automaker knows other brands will soon follow suit and even learn from the Mercedes-Google partnership.