How would it feel to travel in an electric vehicle with a ChatGPT-powered virtual personal assistant? Though we have been witnessing the tremendous use cases of AI in various sectors, integrating ChatGPT-like assistant into a vehicle is absolutely magnificent. A voice-activated interface for drivers has always been the goal of many car companies. However, once the companies started utilising revolutionary Artificial Intelligence technology like the “transformer models”, which are capable of learning humungous data, they expanded the capabilities of these cars. 

According to Semafor, the leading auto manufacturing company General Motors is making this dream a reality by incorporating OpenAI’s ChatGPT into their future EVs. The decision is a part of their broader collaboration with Microsoft Corporation, which had a multi-billion-dollar investment in the ChatGPT earlier this year. “ChatGPT is going to be everything”, says Scott Miller, the vice president of GM, during an interview last week. 

Unlike most cars having a simple voice command feature that helps us to call someone or even change the climate controls, these ChatGPT-powered cars of GM have more in store. Scott Miller assures that automakers are currently working on AI assistants that are more capable than any of the cars in the forefront. The chatbot will help people access information about using vehicle features typically found in an owner’s manual. It also helps in programming functions such as garage door codes or integrating schedules from the calendar.  

“This shift is not just about one single capability like the evolution of voice commands, but instead means that customers can expect their future vehicles to be far more capable and fresh overall when it comes to emerging technologies,” a GM spokesperson said Friday. As the ChatGPT can help people in various areas such as safety, navigation, maintenance and fuel efficiency, the expectations are high in this GM initiative. 

The ChatGPT-powered car will enable the driver to seek assistance from the car itself if it gets a flat tyre. The car will be able to demonstrate an instructional video which helps the driver easily change the tyre. The digital assistant can also advise the driver with an indication if a diagnostic light pops up on the dashboard. 

Though GM will be using a ChatGPT-like assistant, Miller hasn’t commented on which AI model will be used in detail. However, this version of AI assistant will be different from ChatGPT or BingChat. Moreover, as GM already partnered with Microsoft in 2021 to accelerate the commercialisation of driverless cars, the ultimate aim of these companies will be completely eliminating the idea of ‘drivers driving the car from the driving seat’. Hence the future of using a transformer model like this is challenging in another way. 

Regardless of the criticisms, this technology will be a no-brainer as it helps EVs digitally connect to the world by enhancing the driving experience. Furthermore, as smartphone usage while driving is the major reason for road accidents, the virtual assistant is expected to keep the drivers on the road, limiting these accidents to a certain extent.