Stellantis, the European automotive giant, has announced the incorporation of ChatGPT in certain new Peugeot models starting Wednesday. The initial rollout of this new feature will take place in five European countries—France, Britain, Germany, Italy, and Spain—before a broader implementation later in the year.
OpenAI, credited with sparking the AI trend with the release of ChatGPT in November 2022, has shifted its focus towards business-to-business ventures. The automotive industry has shown great interest in adopting ChatGPT, with manufacturers intrigued by the prospect of a car that not only comprehends voice commands but can potentially engage in conversation, reminiscent of the popular 1980s TV show Knight Rider featuring a talking car named KITT.
In recent years, automobiles have undergone a significant shift towards becoming more computerized, with traditional dashboards being replaced by touchscreen displays filled with apps. The evolution of in-car technology has reached a point where Elon Musk described Tesla as much a software company as a hardware one, both in terms of cars and factories. The increasing integration of technological features and software updates has paved the way for car manufacturers to embrace the latest advancement in the industry: artificial intelligence.
Several major car companies have recently announced their integration of ChatGPT. In June, Mercedes-Benz initiated a ChatGPT trial in approximately 900,000 cars in the U.S., making participation in the trial as simple as expressing the desire to join the ChatGPT beta program through voice command. Volkswagen is making a notable move by incorporating ChatGPT across its entire lineup, aiming to leverage the technology beyond conventional voice-activated commands, allowing for more natural language interactions such as stating “I’m cold” to activate seat warmers or “It’s starting to rain” for the headlights.
OpenAI’s exploration of developing technology for specific use cases aligns with the increasing prevalence of ChatGPT and DALL-E in the business world. The GPT Store, introduced at OpenAI’s first developer day in November, serves as a repository for various tools and applications of the software, catering to paid subscribers of ChatGPT Plus and enterprise customers. The GPT Store boasts around 3 million distinct custom chatbots as of this month.
