There is an unmistakable buzz around generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), and as with most industries today, GenAI tools are all over automotive. And why not? From streamlining processes, enhancing efficiency, reducing costs, and automating software to improving performance metrics, there's hardly an automotive process today that cannot seem to benefit from AI-driven tools.

Of the many GenAI tools and applications available today, ChatGPT has really caught on with the automotive industry thanks to its varied use cases. For automakers still lacking GenAI expertise, now is the time to close this gap with strategic partnerships for capability-building. Launching pilot projects on existing technology platforms can help them build expertise in a low-risk manner while forming partnerships with experienced technology firms can help expedite the delivery of capabilities.

S&P Global Mobility believes that OEMs will need to collaborate closely with their chosen AI technology providers. This partnership will not only improve the process of data collection from vehicle but also establish advanced LLM training to enhance overall AI proficiency and offer comprehensive services and functionalities.

Here's a snapshot of how OEMs are leveraging GenAI to offer smart solutions:

• Mercedes Benz has been beta-testing ChatGPT in over 900,000 of its vehicles in the US, to explore how the AI tool can enhance the intuitiveness of MBUX's voice-control features. Mercedes-Benz is also testing ChatGPT in production to accelerate the use of intelligent tools in the MO360 digital production ecosystem.
  
  
• BMW has incorporated ChatGPT into its iDrive system, letting drivers control various functions of their car using natural-language voice commands.
  
  
• General Motors has a wide-ranging collaboration with Google around Google Cloud's conversational AI technology, Dialogflow, that powered the automaker's OnStar Interactive Virtual Assistant (IVA) launched in 2022. Leveraging Dialogflow, the IVA provides OnStar Members with routing and navigation assistance, including turn-by-turn directions.
  
  
• Volkswagen became the first volume automaker to offer ChatGPT as a standard feature when it unveiled its first vehicles with the technology integrated into its IDA voice assistant at CES 2024. Powered by Cerence Chat Pro, Volkswagen's ChatGPT variant will be rolled out in the following models - ID.71, ID.4, ID.5, ID.3, all-new Tiguan, all-new Passat, and the new Golf - starting in the second quarter of 2024.
  
  
• Peugeot has integrated ChatGPT into its i-Cockpit and can be activated via the voice assistant 'OK Peugeot'. By introducing ChatGPT into its cars, Peugeot seeks to enhance the experience of the voice assistant, making it more interactive, seamless, and user-friendly.
  
  
• Following in the footsteps of its parent company VW, Škoda plans to incorporate Cerence's automotive-grade ChatGPT as a standard feature for many customers from mid-2024.
  
  
• Stellantis' DS Automobiles brand will integrate ChatGPT as standard on all its models equipped with the DS IRIS voice assistant starting in March 2024. Powered by SoundHound Chat AI and available in 13 languages across 18 countries, DS IRIS can respond to a vast range of questions from hundreds of real-time domains.
  
  
• Tesla's Autopilot system uses AI algorithms (Convolutional Neural Networks, Recurrent Neural Networks, and Reinforcement learning) to enhance the performance of the car's advanced driver assistance features. Tesla also revealed its own version of an AI chatbot called Grok last November, which is currently in test mode.
  
  
• Faraday Future has integrated its Generative AI Product Stack in its first production vehicle, the FF 91. Through this stack, the company has integrated its foundational AI capabilities with advanced models such as ChatGPT, GPT-4, and others, to enable a range of personalized applications in the vehicle.

Author: Vivek Beriwal, Senior Research Analyst, UI/UX, Supply Chain & Technology, S&P Global Mobility

Subscribe to BriefCASE: Our weekly AutoTechInsight newsletter featuring innovative automotive insights and expert analysis

This article was published by S&P Global Mobility and not by S&P Global Ratings, which is a separately managed division of S&P Global.