Death of the Car Salesman? BMW Makes AI App To Sell Electric Cars 168
cartechboy writes "You thought Willy Loman had it bad. BMW is launching an artificial intelligence app allowing consumers to ask questions about its new BMW i3 electric car without the hassle of having to pick up the phone or go into a dealership. Potential customers can text a simple question about the i3 and the system builds an appropriate response in real-time using AI — interpreting words, sentiment, and context. The futuristic robo-car salesman was developed by 19-year-old entrepreneur Dmitry Aksenov and operates around the clock. No word on whether the app says, 'Wait here — I'll check with my sales manager,' like human car dealers often do."
Don't think that'll work well (Score:0, Insightful)
BMW buyers need that personal dick sucking touch from a beneath them type salesman begging for a customer.
Hmm.. Electric... bmw... That might be the most douche you could have in one space.
oh please please please (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:No way (Score:5, Insightful)
"Notice: Please press 'Accept' to the agreement below within the next 59 second(s) to avoid having every photo on this device forwarded to your twitter account."
More seriously, traditional dealers are considered a hurdle to EV sales because they have to compete with their other inventory. Dealers may not be as knowledgeable and enthusiastic about EVs to make an effective sale. There's also a notion that, since thee majority of a dealer's profit comes from the service department, that EVs don't get pushed as aggressively because they don't need as much service.
Since selling factory direct runs afoul of many state laws here in the US, this seems like an interesting alternative... just take the human interest out of the sales pitch.
=Smidge=
Re:The answer is not the answer (Score:5, Insightful)
Yes, but since the AI is not (or at least not yet) a culpable entity under the law. It means culpability falls on to BMW for anything the AI promises or says. So if it says yes you can drive the car from Alaska to Russia. BMW could be brought to court under the law for making false calms about it's car capabilities. Now, if a human where to say that you'd have to find some evidence to show that BMW had told it's salesmen or implied that they show make that calm. Otherwise, you could only go after the salesman for his actions.
Re:Lower prices? (Score:5, Insightful)
Dear BMW.... (Score:2, Insightful)
If you cant give me a 200 mile range (shortest range in worst conditions like -20 below heavy snow with the heater blasting full, or 120 degrees desert with AC blasting full blast) then you will not sell electric cars here in the use except for niche markets like large cities as short range commuter cars.
Most people that have the money for a BMW electric live 45 miles from work in the suburbs and will need at LEAST a comfort zone of charge. If I drive 90 miles plus 15 miles for lunch each day I need a 200 mile range car just in case I need to get groceries on the way home, or take the family to Starbucks for an evening overpriced coffee buzz.
All of the electric cars made today are useless to the demographic that can afford them, and your BMW version is even further out of the price range of the inner city folk that can use them the most.
Stop wasting time and money on stupid apps, and double the range.
Oblig (Score:3, Insightful)
"About 50% of the human race is middle-men and they don't take kindly to being eliminated."
Re:No way (Score:5, Insightful)
Sounds to me like a contract issue between the dealer and manufacturer (I'm guessing that terms about the opening of competing branches of the same franchise within a certain geographic area are standard for just about any type of franchise). There shouldn't be legislation about it outside of standard contract law.