Mercedes did not specify which LLM was used when it revealed the car at CES 2024. The existing MBUX Voice Assistant, which could handle up to 20 commands when triggered by “Hey Mercedes”now includes results from OpenAI’s ChatGPT, and Microsoft Bing. However, it is not a conversational system. Mercedes says that it plans to upgrade the system for “further models”but did not specify which ones.
According to Mercedes, the new MBUX Virtual Assistant features four “personality characteristics,” including naturalness, predictability, personalization, and empathy. It can also ask questions to clarify your needs.
Google’s new AI Agent was designed for automotive use, using Google Maps to find points-of-interest, restaurant reviews, give recommendations, answer questions, and much more. Google says MBUX users will have access to “near real-time” Google Maps updates. It also claims that it can “handle a complex, multi-turn dialogue.”
This agent runs on Google Cloud Vertex AI’s development platform designed to help companies create AI experiences. Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google, stated in a recent press release that this is only the beginning of the way agentic capabilities could transform the automotive industry.
