• The well-known AI tool will complement Volkswagen’s own online voice assistant IDA
• Customers can communicate with their vehicle using natural language and will receive a range of additional information
• Volkswagen is one of the first high-volume manufacturers to bring ChatGPT¹ to its vehicles through collaboration with technology partner Cerence
• The search tool is available in all new ID. models², as well as in the new Golf³, new Tiguan³ and new Passat³

Wolfsburg – Volkswagen models featuring the new-generation infotainment system are now also equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) of ChatGPT. The AI-based research tool is available in all new vehicles in the all-electric ID. family², as well as in the new Golf³, new Tiguan³ and new Passat³. It can be accessed using the IDA voice assistant and offers a range of new options that go far beyond the voice control previously available. For example, customers can now have search results read out to them, and can interact with the car using natural language.

Kai Grünitz, Member of the Brand Board of Management responsible for Development: “Volkswagen has a long tradition of democratising technologies. As a volume manufacturer, we make these technologies accessible to large numbers of people. By seamlessly integrating ChatGPT into the backend of our voice assistant, we are now offering drivers the opportunity to use this artificial intelligence on a daily basis, thus underlining how innovative our products are.”

Current Volkswagen models already allow users to control the infotainment, navigation and climate control systems using the IDA online voice assistant. The vehicle is also able to answer questions about various topics. But with the introduction of ChatGPT, the possibilities have expanded significantly: for example, AI can provide information on tourist attractions, report on past football tournaments or help solve maths problems. All of this works intuitively: the driver simply talks to the assistant in natural language, and there is no need for them to take their eyes off the road.

Easy to use, no additional account necessary. Volkswagen customers with an existing account for VW Connect/VW Connect Plus can use the IDA voice assistant as usual – they do not require additional access or an additional app. The digital assistant is launched by saying “Hello IDA” or pressing the button on the steering wheel. Only if a query cannot be answered by the Volkswagen system is it forwarded anonymously to ChatGPT; the answer is then provided in the familiar Volkswagen voice. At no point does ChatGPT gain access to vehicle data. Questions and answers are deleted immediately in order to ensure optimal data protection. The online voice assistant can be deactivated either in the settings area of the Volkswagen app or in the infotainment system’s privacy settings.

Technology available in five languages. In January 2024, Volkswagen presented the first vehicles with ChatGPT integrated into the IDA voice assistant at the CES 2024, a trade show for electronics. The technology is currently available in the system languages English (US), English (UK), Spanish, Czech and German. Its use in Volkswagen vehicles has been made possible thanks to a collaboration with Cerence Inc., the global leader in automotive AI solutions, and its Cerence Chat Pro, which uses a variety of sources – including ChatGPT – to enable IDA to provide accurate and relevant responses to nearly every query imaginable.

1) The answers provided by ChatGPT (connected to ChatGPT version 3.5 Turbo) may vary, contain incomplete, incorrect or irrelevant information, and may infringe the rights of third parties. Do not rely on these answers without checking them against other sources of information. Additionally, if you use or share information provided by ChatGPT, e.g. on social media or on the internet, it is your responsibility to ensure this does not infringe the rights of third parties (in particular copyrights or data protection rights).
2) For all ID. models with software version 4.0 and higher
3) Only in conjunction with the infotainment package or the IDA voice assistant

Las Vegas / Wolfsburg — At CES 2024, the world’s leading electronics trade fair held from 9 to 12 January, Volkswagen will present the first vehicles in which the artificial-intelligence-based chatbot ChatGPT is integrated into its IDA voice assistant. In future, customers will have seamless access to the constantly growing artificial intelligence database in all Volkswagen models equipped with the IDA voice assistant1 and have researched content read out to them while driving. Cerence Chat Pro from technology partner Cerence Inc. is the foundation of the new function, which offers a uniquely intelligent, automotive-grade ChatGPT integration. Volkswagen will be the first volume manufacturer to offer ChatGPT as a standard feature from the second quarter of 2024 in many production vehicles.

The new chatbot is offered in conjunction with the latest generation of infotainment in the following models: ID.7¹, ID.4, ID.5, ID.3, the all-new Tiguan³ and the all-new Passat³, as well as in the new Golf^3/4.

Enabled by Cerence Chat Pro, the integration of ChatGPT into the backend of the Volkswagen voice assistant offers a multitude of new capabilities that go far beyond the previous voice control. For example, the IDA voice assistant can be used to control the infotainment, navigation and air conditioning, or to answer general knowledge questions. In the future, AI will provide additional information in response to questions that go beyond this as part of its continuously expanding capabilities. This can be helpful on many levels during a car journey: enriching conversations, clearing up questions, interacting in intuitive language, receiving vehicle-specific information, and much more – purely hands-free.

“Volkswagen has always democratised technology and made it accessible to the many. This is simply ingrained in our DNA. As a result, we are now the first volume manufacturer to make this innovative technology a standard feature in vehicles from the compact segment upwards. Thanks to the seamless integration of ChatGPT and strong collaboration with our partner, Cerence, we are offering our drivers added value and direct access to the AI-based research tool. This also underlines the innovative strength of our new products,” said Kai Grünitz, Member of the Board of Management Volkswagen Brand for Technical Development.

“We are proud to build on our automotive expertise and our long-standing partnership with Volkswagen to offer its customers new innovations that leverage generative AI and large language models – even after they have purchased a vehicle,” said Stefan Ortmanns, CEO of Cerence. “With Cerence Chat Pro, Volkswagen is empowered with an automotive-grade ChatGPT integration that offers unmatched flexibility, customisation, and ease of deployment, while prioritising security and usability for drivers. As we look to the future, together Volkswagen and Cerence will explore collaboration to design a new, large-language-model-based (LLM) user experience as the foundation of Volkswagen’s next-generation in-car assistant.”