The tech behind ChatGPT could power your next car's AI driving assistant

The technology powering OpenAI's ChatGPT has the potential to revolutionize every aspect of our lives, including the automotive industry. Companies like General Motors (GM) are planning to incorporate this innovative technology into future vehicles, such as Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick, and GMC cars and trucks. This means that many popular vehicles could soon introduce this groundbreaking technology.

In recent years, cars have become increasingly high-tech, offering features like Bluetooth connectivity, semi-autonomous driving, automatic braking, lane departure warning, collision warning, and 360-degree reverse cameras. Most of these technologies rely on artificial intelligence (AI) to automate driving tasks that would otherwise divert the driver's attention from the road. However, certain aspects of driving, such as consulting an owner's manual or operating a garage door opener, have remained relatively unchanged for the past three decades.

GM plans to leverage the technology behind ChatGPT to automate these remaining tasks and make the future smart car feel closer to reality. Recently, Semafor reported that GM is working on a voice assistant based on the ChatGPT technology.

It's important to note that ChatGPT itself won't be directly integrated into GM vehicles. Instead, the company will use similar language model technology to power an AI assistant in their new cars. Semafor also mentioned that GM's voice assistant will utilize Microsoft's Azure cloud service, providing access to the technology behind Dall-E, ChatGPT, and Microsoft Bing.

GM's vision is to create a human-to-car relationship reminiscent of science-fiction movies. For many car manufacturers, advanced AI assistants have long been an ambition, but the underdeveloped state of AI language technology has hindered their realization.

Current solutions like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto allow drivers to connect their smartphones to their cars for enhanced functionality. By uploading certain phone apps to the car's entertainment center screen, drivers can access features like calling, texting, and navigation without physically interacting with their phones.

However, an in-car AI assistant offers a more conversational and knowledgeable experience compared to a smartphone. For instance, if a driver notices that their windshield wipers are not working effectively, they can simply ask the car what size wipers they need, and the car may even provide information on where to purchase them.

Similarly, if a driver wants to understand how to activate their automatic braking system, the car can explain the feature's functionality, how to toggle it on and off, and the optimal conditions for its usage.

In addition to convenience, the primary goal of these AI assistants is to enhance road safety for everyone. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, 42,915 people died in car crashes in 2021. Can AI assistants provide impromptu reminders about traffic laws? Can they notify drivers when they are exceeding speed limits or prevent the car from exceeding residential speed limits?

Perhaps the greatest benefit of an AI assistant is its potential to eliminate the need for drivers to divert their attention away from the road. While car entertainment systems are becoming increasingly expansive and comprehensive, voice assistants like Siri have limited capabilities when it comes to hands-free interaction. Many drivers still need to glance away from the road to adjust temperature settings, pause music, or close apps. Moreover, the lack of haptic feedback in many car entertainment systems leads to uncertainty, forcing drivers to check whether they pressed the correct buttons.

If drivers can simply ask the AI assistant to set the temperature to 70 degrees, pause a song, play a specific playlist, or stop the navigation system, the need for physical buttons on the car's entertainment system could become obsolete.

A fully integrated automated assistant has the potential to make interstate highways and intersections, common hotspots for accidents, safer. However, it's crucial for car manufacturers to ensure that the pitfalls of AI, such as unintentionally increasing the risks on the road or vulnerability to cyberattacks on the car's AI system, are addressed.

Car manufacturers bear a significant responsibility to strike the right balance between innovation and safety.

As we embrace the future, it's essential to ask ourselves, are we truly ready?