FUTURE PROOF
Volkswagen Golf weeks away from updated look… it’ll come with ChatGPT assistant & ‘infotainment’ screen
EUROPE'S best-selling car is set to undergo a makeover, which will see a new infotainment screen and ChatGPT assistant introduced.
Preview images revealed the future of one of the most beloved models on the market as motoring AI tech starts to take off.
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VW has announced that the Golf Mk 8.5 is "just weeks away" after it was spotted in a pre-release test in Las Vegas last year, albeit disguised in a camouflage wrap.
The changes are not expected to be significant in terms of the external design, mainly consisting of a lower grille and reshaped lights, hence it's .5 generation designation ahead of an expected ninth-generation Golf in a few years.
However, it is set to see some radical changes inside in terms of the technology available.
At this week's Consumer Electronics Show, also in Vegas, VW confirmed that several of its new models, including the updated Golf, will come with a ChatGPT chat bot that can respond to drivers' questions from the second quarter of this year.
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Hailing the device as "a uniquely intelligent, automotive-grade ChatGPT integration", bosses announced that the bot will be integrated into the brand's existing voice-controlled assistant, named IDA.
It can be activated by a button on the steering wheel or by saying "hello IDA", followed by your question.
According to the manufacturer, this will allow motorists to benefit from a "constantly growing artificial intelligence database" and operate features like the infotainment system, sat nav and air con by voice.
If the existing system is not able to answer your question, the query will be forwarded to the AI system which will then reply in moments.
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Cerence Inc, which provides the AI software, claims that it can provide "accurate and relevant responses to nearly every query imaginable."
All questions and answers will then be instantly deleted, while VW will not have access to any of the system data.
Kai Grünitz, VW board member for technical development, said: "Volkswagen has always democratised technology and made it accessible – this is ingrained in our DNA.
"As a result, we are now the first volume manufacturer to make this technology a standard feature in vehicles from the compact segment upwards."
It comes after it was revealed that Kia and Hyundai customers would be able to remotely control home appliances like kettles from their cars under a new deal between the manufacturers and Samsung.
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