CES 2024 once again proved that the biggest technology show of the year is also now the biggest car show. Taking a step back, the biggest trends in car technology can be broken down into three areas: electrification, new ways to move and the arrival of language-based artificial intelligence in the dashboard.
AI hits the road
Automakers have been working to bring artificial intelligence to the car for over a decade. (Autonomous driving tech, for example, is powered by AI.) However, at CES 2024, the advancements in large language model AI that’s taken the internet by storm is arriving in the dashboard to make talking to your car for voice command and assistance more, for lack of a better term, human.
The German automakers have been the fastest to make announcements in this space. Volkswagen announced a partnership with Cerence to bring ChatGPT to its “Hello Ida” voice assistant system as a free, cloud-based update for drivers of its ID 4 and ID 7 electric cars later this year. BMW paired up with Amazon for its Alexa Large Language Model, while Mercedes-Benz is working with Azure OpenAI. From parts and software suppliers to SoC manufacturers, everyone everywhere was talking about AI in the car.
Soon, rather than memorizing commands like “Navigation” or “Send an SMS,” you may be able to ask your car to “Find a taqueria nearby with good burritos and EV charging nearby, send that to my wife with a text that says ‘meet me there,’ and then start guidance,” and the car will just make it work.