Google, Volkswagen Join Forces to Debut New In-Car AI Assistant for Drivers

Google and Volkswagen have teamed up to integrate advanced AI into a smartphone application designed specifically for Volkswagen drivers. 

Google is working to penetrate the enterprise AI application market, and this partnership will aid this goal, providing users with tools that simplify everyday tasks.

The innovative in-app assistant allows Volkswagen owners to ask practical questions, such as how to change a flat tyre, and leverages smartphone cameras to deliver relevant information from the vehicle’s dashboard. 

This functionality is powered by Google’s Gemini large language models, which are adept at understanding and generating human-like responses, along with the firm’s cloud computing infrastructure.

To develop this tool, Google has integrated a comprehensive range of data, including Volkswagen owner manuals and instructional YouTube videos focused on vehicle maintenance, into the Gemini framework. 

Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian highlighted the technical challenges involved in creating this product, particularly concerning multimodality—the ability to process various data types such as text, images, and videos. He noted, “The problem looks superficially simple, but it’s technically very complex.”

Currently, the AI assistant is free for about 120,000 owners of Volkswagen’s Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport models, with plans for a broader rollout to other models from the year 2020 and later by early next year.

This collaboration has the potential to change the competitive industry of the cloud computing market, where Google currently ranks third, trailing Amazon and Microsoft. 

With many businesses continually exploring practical applications for generative AI, integrating such technology into everyday tools like vehicle assistance presents a favourable opportunity.

In 2023, Google’s cloud computing segment contributed $33 billion to the company’s total revenue of $307 billion. While the firm has indicated that AI solutions have greatly boosted its revenue this year, specific figures remain undisclosed. 

Meanwhile, Volkswagen has not provided details regarding the usage metrics of its newly launched AI assistant.