Alphabet’s Google is playing a significant role in enhancing driver experiences for Volkswagen with a new AI-powered assistant integrated into a smartphone app. This collaboration marks another step in Google's broader strategy to expand its enterprise AI offerings by providing tools for companies to build AI-driven applications.
Volkswagen's in-app assistant, available to Volkswagen Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport drivers, allows users to interact with their vehicle in innovative ways. Drivers can ask the assistant practical questions like “How do I change a flat tire?” or point their phone camera at the vehicle dashboard to receive real-time, relevant information about the car’s functions.
The AI assistant is built on Google’s Gemini large language models (LLMs), advanced AI programs designed to understand and predictively respond to human language. The AI assistant goes beyond basic speech-to-text translation by incorporating Volkswagen-specific data, such as owner's manuals and YouTube videos on vehicle maintenance. This multimodal approach allows the assistant to process and generate responses using various data types, including text, images, and videos.
According to Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian, creating this multimodal functionality presented significant technical challenges. “The problem looks superficially simple, but it’s technically very complex,” Kurian said, emphasizing that the solution is more than a simple manual lookup system.
The partnership aligns with Google’s broader business strategy of increasing its footprint in the cloud computing market. Google Cloud generated $33 billion of Alphabet's $307 billion in total revenue in 2023, a sector where it currently ranks third behind Amazon and Microsoft.
As more companies explore the practical applications of generative AI, corporate adoption is poised to reshape the cloud computing market. For Google, the success of AI-powered applications like Volkswagen’s assistant could bolster its standing in this highly competitive field.
While the AI assistant is currently available to 120,000 Volkswagen owners, specifically for Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport models, the company plans to extend its availability to other cars from the 2020 model year and later by early next year. Volkswagen has not yet disclosed detailed usage metrics for the assistant, but this tool marks a significant step in integrating AI into everyday driving experiences.
For Google, this collaboration is a tangible example of how its AI and cloud technologies can be leveraged to create meaningful applications in the automotive industry.
