Google and Mercedes-Benz have announced a pioneering partnership to expand the MBUX Virtual Assistant with AI-powered conversational search capabilities.
Built using Gemini on Vertex AI, Google Cloud’s Automotive AI Agent is specially tuned for the automotive industry and can reference information from the Google Maps Platform to give users more detailed and personalized conversational responses about navigation, points of interest, and more.
The collaboration will see the MBUX Virtual Assistant, which is already known for its smart capabilities, enhanced with Google Cloud’s new Automotive AI Agent. This AI agent is designed exclusively for the automobile industry and was built using Gemini on Vertex AI. It can leverage information from the Google Maps Platform to provide users with extensive and personalized responses regarding navigation, points of interest, and other topics.
Read: Google introduces new Google Maps features
Ola Källenius, CEO of Mercedes-Benz Group AG, highlighted the significance of this partnership: ”At Mercedes-Benz, we seek to offer our customers an exceptional digital experience. Our partnership with Google Cloud will further enhance in-car navigation, combining sophisticated location data with generative AI. Launching with the new CLA, our next-gen navigation will allow drivers and passengers to use voice commands to obtain comprehensive and personalized information within seconds.”
Drivers may communicate with the MBUX Virtual Assistant in any natural language. For example, users can ask, “Could you guide me to the nearest fine-dining restaurant for a unique culinary experience?” and obtain extensive responses, including specialty dishes and reviews. The AI assistant can manage complex, multi-turn talks and remember them, allowing for seamless interactions during the drive.
Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and Alphabet, echoed this sentiment, stating, “Mercedes-Benz is known for providing an amazing driving experience, and our partnership will bring cutting-edge AI breakthroughs to make those experiences even better. Our new automotive AI agent will help drivers navigate and search with in-vehicle assistants, so those interactions are more natural and helpful.
The new AI-enhanced Point-of-Interest search and navigation feature is coming to the new Mercedes-Benz CLA. It will be the first vehicle designed with the new Mercedes-Benz operating system, MB.OS. A rollout to further models with the MBUX Voice Assistant is also planned.
