It’s one of the cult series of the eighties: When Michael Knight in “Knight Rider” his K.I.T.T. ordered to go into turbo boost, the viewers were glued to the screen. According to automaker GM, we’ll all feel a little like the action star played by David Hasselhoff.
“This change does not just affect a single ability, as was the case with the development of voice control,” a GM spokesman told Reuters on Friday. “Customers can expect their future vehicles to be significantly more powerful and completely redesigned in terms of new technologies.”
While voice control in previous cars is at a similar level to that of smartphones, future AI-supported models should be capable of much more. To do this, GM wants to rely on language models like ChatGPT, initially reported “Semafor”. The company expects that customers will be able to communicate directly with the car via such voice AI.
For example, it is conceivable that when a warning signal lights up, you can ask directly what’s behind it, explains Scott Miller, the company’s vice president responsible for software. The car can then inform you directly whether you can stop right away or drive home calmly. And we can also arrange a workshop appointment on call. In the case of a flat tire, one could ask how it could be repaired.
According to the “Semafor” report, the basis for the auto AI should be Microsoft’s cloud service Azure and the model behind the hype AI ChatGPT. It should make it possible to have full conversations with the car, as in “Knight Rider”. “ChatGPT will be in absolutely everything,” Miller told Reuters last week. Of course, the AI should not be limited to the car. The calendar and the garage door should also be able to be used, according to GM’s vision.
However, it will probably take a while until that happens. So far, ChatGPT can only be used with additional programs with voice input and output. In addition, the program in its current form is also prone to making mistakes in its responses. The software has also had problems with longer calls. Some users even managed to apparently lead the bot into an existential crisis. Contrary to the cool saying of K.I.T.T. you don’t want to experience something like that from your car.
Sources: Reuters, Semafor
