DS Automobiles, Citroen’s luxury brand, has announced the addition of a ChatGPT-powered chatbot to vehicles equipped with the DS Iris System, its in-house voice recognition software.
The addition of ChatGPT, according to the French automaker, would allow the driver to keep “maximum concentration on the road” while bombarding the DS Iris System with complex requests and inquiries that the software will be able to answer.
Some of the examples cited by DS Automobiles are far from amusing, with the business recommending that drivers ask for “the most beautiful cultural or artistic places to visit during a trip to Bordeaux or to list the most beautiful works kept at the Louvre Museum.” That’s really French.
Perhaps more beneficial is the ability to instruct the ChatGPT-powered system to produce a quiz on a specific subject or even a children’s narrative while on a trip.
This system, according to DS, will be available in a wide range of vehicles by the end of the year, including the DS 3 crossover, DS 4 hatchback, DS 7 SUV, and DS 9 saloon.
During a six-month experimental period, every vehicle equipped with the DS Iris System will be offered the AI chatbot at no extra cost, however, no subscription costs have been mentioned, and it is only available to consumers in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, and Italy.
The DS Iris System, which is designed to handle detailed requests without requiring the driver to take their eyes off the road, is triggered by saying “OK Iris” or by pressing the dedicated button on the steering wheel. Voice engagement with the chatbot then begins, without drivers having to take their eyes off the road.
“Even knowing all the inner workings and binary computations that allow ChatGPT to interact with its user, there is a certain fascination with how this conversational artificial intelligence model works,” said Yves Bonnefont, Chief Software Officer of Stellants, the parent company of DS Automobiles. Its capacity to engage is without a doubt one of the most eye-catching AI applications of the past year throughout the world.
“We’ve been working to integrate ChatGPT into our own systems since it became available.” And we are proud to be the first in Europe to provide this innovation. Stellantis’ strategic goal, within the Dare Forward 2030 strategy, includes this development,” he says.
Mercedes-Benz said last summer that it would incorporate AI and ChatGPT into its MBUX infotainment systems, so DS Automobiles isn’t the first carmaker to explore the technology.
This is open to any clients who want to join in a trial period, according to the German marque. All owners need to do is say, “Hey Mercedes, I’d like to join the beta program,” and ChatGPT will be enabled via over-the-air upgrade.
Similarly, Kia recently announced plans to expand the use of chatbots in its vehicles and accompanying smartphone apps, with the goal of allowing customers to ask simple conversational questions like “When does my car need its next service” and receive detailed responses with the ability to book slots with a local dealer.
Kia, on the other hand, refused to be tied down to a specific AI provider, instead declaring that it was working “with some of the best.”
It’s worth noting that both DS Automobiles and Mercedes-Benz are starting with AI integration as a trial program. Presumably, so that the robots do not take control and steal our autos.
