New Mercedes virtual assistant can ask intelligent questions

Mercedes-Benz launched a new virtual assistant at the CES electronics trade fair on Monday capable of providing context-based suggestions and engaging in dialogue with users, signalling another step forward in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in cars.

The assistant can speak in different tones of emotions and ask intelligent questions to clarify what is being asked, the company said.

“The car is your dialogue partner. You can ask questions, have a conversation, be productive,” Mercedes' chief technology officer, Markus Schaefer, said at a press round-table in Las Vegas.

The assistant will be rolled out in vehicles including the new concept CLA class, an all-electric take on the carmaker’s smaller four-door model, premiering in North America at the trade show.

With electric-vehicle hardware less complex and variable than that of combustion-engine cars, carmakers are looking to set themselves apart with their software offerings.

Voice assistant technology in cars is becoming increasingly sophisticated, from the use of personalised avatars to generative AI technology.

Volkswagen presented its first vehicles featuring a voice assistant that integrates ChatGPT technology on Monday, enabling drivers to have researched content read to them during their drive.

Volkswagen said its assistant would be able to engage in dialogue with users by midyear, and would remember previous questions and respond accordingly.

Mercedes-Benz said an added feature of its new voice assistant was a plausibility check for the responses it provides. It will check recommendations via data in the cloud and customers' self-reporting when, for example, a recommended restaurant or shop has closed down.

“We feel we have an obligation if we put something in the car that you can trust the information,” Schaefer said.