ChatGPT in Mercedes raises concerns

Fact checked by Jerri Ledford

• Mercedes-Benz is letting drivers add an AI chatbot to their cars.

• ChatGPT will enhance voice commands and can hold conversations.

• Some experts say that AI voice assistants could distract drivers.

You'll soon be able to chat with your car thanks to generative AI, but experts warn that the technology could also lead to distracted driving.

Mercedes-Benz has announced plans to add ChatGPT to its cars. The software would make voice commands more fluid and could also engage in conversations. However, some say the concept could lead to problems.

"A potential downside of having this technology in your vehicle would be taking the driver's focus off the road to interact with the AI system," Jeremy Rambarran, a professor at Touro University Graduate School of Technology, told Lifewire in an email interview. "Depending on the types of queries that are being asked of the system, drivers may become distracted, and this could be dangerous, leading to a potential accident."

Does AI Make Smarter Cars?

Mercedes drivers can join a beta program and add ChatGPT capability to their cars through a software update. The German automaker says ChatGPT will augment its existing "Hey Mercedes" voice assistant, allowing it to respond to a wider variety of prompts and get information about passing sights.

"Soon, participants who ask the Voice Assistant for details about their destination, to suggest a new dinner recipe, or to answer a complex question, will receive a more comprehensive answer—while keeping their hands on the wheel and eyes on the road," the company said in the news release.

The Mercedes software upgrade could be just the start of an AI revolution for cars. ChatGPT could combine with machine learning for pattern recognition that could alert you to issues or dangers you were unaware of, AI expert Christopher Alexander, the chief analytics officer of Pioneer Development Group, said in an email to Lifewire. For example, it may recognize that your tire pressure, weather conditions, and chosen route have an increased level of risk.

Predictive health analytics and AI could one day help diagnose medical conditions while you drive, Alexander said. Your smartwatch could alert the AI to a potential health issue that might occur during your journey.

"The AI could speak with you to analyze your voice for agitation from PTSD or even accurately predict a heart attack," he added. "PTSD agitation and heart attack detection already exist, so this could be added much sooner than many would expect."

A potential downside of having this technology in your vehicle would be taking the driver's focus off the road to interact with the AI system.

The most significant benefit of ChatGPT might come when interfacing with existing smart driving assistants, such as Apple's Carplay, AI researcher Bars Juhasz, the founder of Undetectable AI, said via email. He pointed out that current car navigation systems don't support complex multi-stage voice requests and route planning. However, by adding ChatGPT, a complex series of requests could be dictated by the driver and passengers.

"For example, 'Hey ChatGPT, please change our current route to include a gas stop and a Pizza Hut with a google maps rating of 4 stars or more,'" he said.

ChatGPT Distractions

Chatting with your Mercedes via AI might be fun, but it could end up in trouble. The Mercedes-ChatGPT deal will likely improve communication functionality, particularly with navigation, AI expert Richard Gardner, the CEO at Modulus, said in an email. The software could learn driving habits, including preferred routes. ChatGPT could aid drivers in relegating instructions hands-free, like setting alarms or scheduling appointments.

"Such tasks, though, would likely increase the cognitive load that drivers already deal with on the road," Gardner said. "In some cases, it may divert a driver's attention away from the road. Because ChatGPT continues to struggle with hallucinations and inaccuracy, that will likely carry over into whatever applications in which it is utilized."

While AI functions could keep drivers from paying attention, it also could help prevent distracted drivers from causing accidents. An Indian startup is using machine learning to monitor drivers who are nodding off. The company claims AI has reduced distracted driving by almost 96 percent and accidents by up to 40 percent.

It's one of many companies trying to use AI to monitor drivers. But a Cornell University professor argues that many new technologies, including AI, invade driver privacy without increasing safety.