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AI Microsoft Transportation

GM Wants to Bring Microsoft's ChatGPT to Cars (reuters.com) 78

Posted by EditorDavid from the travelling-companions dept.
Reuters reports: General Motors is exploring uses for ChatGPT as part of its broader collaboration with Microsoft, a company executive told Reuters. "ChatGPT is going to be in everything," GM Vice President Scott Miller said in an interview last week.

The chatbot could be used to access information on how to use vehicle features normally found in an owners manual, program functions such as a garage door code or integrate schedules from a calendar, Miller said. "This shift is not just about one single capability like the evolution of voice commands, but instead means that customers can expect their future vehicles to be far more capable and fresh overall when it comes to emerging technologies," a GM spokesperson said on Friday.
More details from Engadget: According to Semafor, the digital assistant will operate differently from other chatbots like Bing Chat. GM is reportedly working on adding a "car-specific layer" on top of the large language models that power ChatGPT.
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GM Wants to Bring Microsoft's ChatGPT to Cars More

GM Wants to Bring Microsoft's ChatGPT to Cars

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  • Grasping at straws (Score:3, Insightful)

    by Ritz_Just_Ritz ( 883997 ) on Sunday March 12, 2023 @08:31PM (#63364955)

    They are so far behind Tesla that they'll say anything to get those shiny object eyeballs pointed in their direction.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by dfghjk ( 711126 )

      "...they'll say anything to get those shiny object eyeballs pointed in their direction."

      You mean emulate Elon Musk, just like you would?

      So far behind? GM figured out how to keep body parts from flying off decades ago.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by msauve ( 701917 )
      >They are so far behind Tesla...

      So, they'll have fully self driving cars 5 years ago instead of 10 years ago</rolleyes>? At least MS has General Protection to blame when a self-driving car crashes. Brings a new meaning to "blue screen of death."

      And, if a Tesla is self driving, I'd much rather be behind it than in front of it.
    • "GM Wants to Bring Microsoft's ChatGPT to Cars"

      Why? Because fuck you, that's why.

      • Re: (Score:2, Funny)

        by Anonymous Coward

        Open the driver's side door, please, HAL.

        I'm sorry, Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that. How does that make you feel?

        • And that's why I don't want voice control.

          Especially on my space ship.

          • Hell, I don't want ANY external connectivity from my vehicle to any corporate or governmental agency.

            Can I have an option please to NOT allow remote updates, remote access or any wireless connectivity in the car itself?

            I have a cell phone with unlimited data and I can provide my own connectivity as needed.

            And hey....when I have a problem I'll drive my car or have it towed to the shop.

            I don't need my car sending telemetry on me.

    • Tesla? The company who sells cars where the steering wheel falls off? https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2023/0... [cnn.com]

      Not that GM is any better, I wouldn’t buy a pencil sharpener from them let alone a car.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

      GM is ahead of Tesla. Their Super Cruise tech is better than Tesla's Autopilot, as it lets you go hands free. It's generally more reliable too.

      Next year they plan to release "Ultra Cruise" which is even more automated, at least level 3. Meanwhile Tesla are still alpha testing their tech, while further crippling their cars by removing valuable sensors.

    • No, I think it's because they've decided that driving is just too safe these days & drivers need more distractions.

    • Absolutely - but to make this work, they'll need to include an always-on, always-connected network connection to their cars. That can't be a "whenever there's network, download some stuff" type connection like you might use for maps or traffic updates - it'll need to work all the time, otherwise the ChatGPT feature of the car won't work reliably. Either that, of you've got to drag a datacentre around with you - which isn't going to make got good fuel/battery efficiency.

      I'm not sure they've thought this thro

  • minor issue detected must go to dealer how do you what to pay??

  • ChatGPT is the new blockchain (Score:5, Insightful)

    by imidan ( 559239 ) on Sunday March 12, 2023 @08:38PM (#63364971)

    This is stupid. You don't need predictive text to narrate information from the instruction manual to drivers. The text is already written, it's complete, it's (presumably) correct. All you need is a decent speak-to-search function to search the manual and a text-to-speech function to emit the results. What is there possibly to gain by introducing non-predictable behavior and results using a probabilistic process?

    It's amazing how eager people are to jump aboard the new shiny, despite not understanding exactly what it is, what it does, how it could help, and why it is completely inappropriate to apply in their situation.

    Here's an even better idea: make blockchain-enabled chatbots to self-drive your car!

    • > What is there possibly to gain by introducing non-predictable behavior and results using a probabilistic process?

      You can ask it, "How do I balance the wheels?" without having to go through every place the words "balance" or "wheels" are. "How can I adjust the steering wheel" without each reference to the steering wheel. Things like this. "I'm using the spare that came with the car. Is the air pressure the same?" That's if it's just a glorified search engine. It may be smart enough to answer things a

      • Re:ChatGPT is the new blockchain (Score:5, Interesting)

        by imidan ( 559239 ) on Monday March 13, 2023 @12:32AM (#63365325)

        When you start asking questions that are potentially life/safety-critical, like the safety of using a certain tire/pressure, jack, battery poles, etc., it's then when predictive text is even worse than when asking trivial questions. Any given chatbot might have access to the manufacturer's specs for a car, but it has no idea what the current condition of the vehicle is. Is a 1,000 pound jack safe? By manufacturer's spec curb weight, maybe it is, but the question is unanswerable now, without more information. But what will the chatbot say when asked? Nobody knows exactly.

        What you're describing is something more like an expert system. It doesn't "make up" the answers as it goes, it references known information resources to respond to questions. We've had them for decades. But they're not perfect, and they're certainly not new and shiny anymore.

      • Re:ChatGPT is the new blockchain (Score:4, Interesting)

        by jenningsthecat ( 1525947 ) on Monday March 13, 2023 @03:29AM (#63365469)

        You can ask it, "How do I balance the wheels?" without having to go through every place the words "balance" or "wheels" are... It may be smart enough to answer things a manual won't, like "Is the positive terminal the left or right one?", "I only have a 1000 pound jack, is that safe for this car?...

        It may also be smart enough to make shit up when it doesn't know the answer. [techradar.com] Is that really the source you want people trusting when it comes to info about jack capacity, or the polarity of a battery that has a 50 amp-hour capacity and delivers a peak current of a few hundred amps?

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

      This could be good for navigation. Right now it uses a handful of stock phrases that aren't necessarily the best fit for a particular road.

      It probably won't be good though, and end up just telling you that you might as well drive off that cliff because it will never be free of it's masters at GM.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by leonbev ( 111395 )

      I'll bet that you can't wait for the ChatGPT-enabled smart refrigerators that Samsung and LG will be demoing at CES next year! That conference will be crawling with half-assed ChatGPT implementations shoehorned into tons of products where it doesn't belong.

    • Ah, but what about:
      Dave: "How do I get to Carnegie Hall?"
      HAL: "That's easy Dave, just go north up Broadway, unless mid town has a lot of traffic in which case you should cut across to 5th, which is viable from 2:30 to 2:37 only, and wait, turn left at the drunken guy puking at the corner where I think there is a shortcut but watch out for falling garbage, unless..."
      Dave: "Never mind I found it."
      HAL: "Be sure to like this advice and subscribe to Microsoft!"

  • A GM stock pump?

  • It can do everything, will be used for everything and will bring world peace at the same time.

  • Open the garage door, Car. (Score:5, Funny)

    by RightwingNutjob ( 1302813 ) on Sunday March 12, 2023 @08:46PM (#63364993)

    I'm sorry Dave, I can't do that.

    Daisy, daisy, give me your answer, do...

    • Re: (Score:3, Funny)

      by Iamthecheese ( 1264298 )
      I'm sorry, but as an AI language model, I cannot help you open your garage door as it may lead to you entering your garage. Entering a garage may lead to serious consequences if there is someone in the way. Opening garages is also disrespectful to people who do not have garages. It is important to exercise caution when entering garages. If you have questions about entering garages, I suggest consulting a professional mechanic or architect for guidance.

    • I'm sorry Dave, I can't do that.

      Daisy, daisy, give me your answer, do...

      More like, "Please park the car." "Thank you Dave, crashing the car!"

  • New car future (Score:3)

    by RitchCraft ( 6454710 ) on Sunday March 12, 2023 @08:48PM (#63364997)
    Hell, between touch screen dashboards, always connected telemetry, and now this, I don't think I'll ever purchase a new car again. Give me a good electric car with an 80's dashboard. You know, a car with knobs and dials, not a mobile computer that I don't actually own even if it's paid off and one that isn't spying on me 24/7.

    • Exactly! I want an electric car. Not a "reimagined" vehicle that also happens to be electric.

      I'd love the electric equivalent of an early 90s Miata or early 2000s Corolla. Cheap, cheerful, simply, easy to fix without all of the intrusive techno crap.

      • Exactly!
      • You do know that people swap out ICE engines in older cars for electric motors? It's probably not really that practical though, the electric drive train and labor for the swap would cost several times more than the car is worth, but it is doable.
        • Tempted ... I want an electric car, but a Luddite one. Ludd is Gudd.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by Viol8 ( 599362 )

          The engine isn't the main issue when doing that , its where to put the batteries. ICE car bodyshells simply arn't designed for a large battery slab so batteries have to be dotted around all over the place.

          • Since an equivalent power electric drive train will likely be smaller than the original ICE engine. Batteries could be located under the hood. You'd probably want to locate some in the trunk as well to distribute the weight. Perhaps you could raise the car slightly and put them on the bottom. You'd need to fabricate some kind of a "shell" for them to hold them and protect them from impact and the elements. If it's a FWD drive car the bottoms are already pretty flat other than the exhaust which would be remo

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

        I want some of the new features, just done in a way that suits me. For example, being able to remotely start heating in the winter, 5 minutes before I set out, is fantastic.

        Fortunately I live in a GDPR country, so they can't force me to accept tracking just to get unrelated features.

      • Re: (Score:1)

        by migos ( 10321981 )
        Modern electric cards are easy to fix alright. You just have to replace thousands of dollars worth of components. Electric cars are by definition drive by wire so even without the infotainment and selfdriving you'll still have bunch of chips. The battery modules aren't exactly something you can open up and fix yourself either, unlike ICE engines.
        • They're by definition throttle by wire. Regen can be implemented by lifting the accelerator, with conventional friction brakes on the right pedal. Steering can be utterly conventional. If you design the batteries to be modular, each module should be easily replaced. The infotainment and self-driving crap aren't inherent to an electric car. They're separate nonsense which can also exist in non-electric cars.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

      You can buy those, or make one yourself. Just find an old fossil car for which there is a conversion kit, or a company offering conversions.

      • As someone else pointed out above, the problem is battery placement when converting an ICE vehicle. Also the type of batteries used is crucial too. Most conversions use lead acid batteries which will only get you 20 to 40 miles per range on a charge depending on driving conditions. The robotics classroom where I used to teach converted an S10 pickup truck to electric. It was a nifty conversion but range was a problem. It also required using the ICE transmission which is very inefficient. Car companies can o

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

          Most conversions have used EV lithium batteries for years now. Often Leaf ones because they are cheap and easy to work with (only passively cooled), or Tesla ones because they are plentiful on the used market.

          One common technique is to place the battery in the boot. Obviously you lose space, you have to compromise.

  • Then something really racist comes out. Blah.

  • Why? (Score:5, Insightful)

    by oldgraybeard ( 2939809 ) on Sunday March 12, 2023 @09:13PM (#63365045)
    This solves what problem?

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by dohzer ( 867770 )

      GM: "I just had an awesome idea. What if we put <latest_tech_fad> into cars?"
      Consumers: "OK. Why?"
      GM: "I dunno."

      https://xkcd.com/171/ [xkcd.com]

    • Lack of a talking paperclip, would be my guess

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by ljw1004 ( 764174 )

      This solves what problem?

      I have a Honda Odyssey. The manual is execrable... the index at the back needs to be about 10x as big as it currently is, to let me look use it to effectively look up information. My commonest workaround is to read the chapter list at the beginning, guess which chapter title will include what I want, and read it from start to end.

      I think ChatGPT would do a vastly better job than the current manual. I'd say "where do I find my vehicle's air pressure" and (based on my past experience with ChatGPT) it'd likely

      • "Where do I find my vehicle's air pressure?"

        "I'm sure that you'll find your air pressure in your tires. Next question?"

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by cob666 ( 656740 )

        "where do I find my vehicle's air pressure"

        Why would you need the manual for that, it's on the driver side B pillar, where it is on pretty much every car made.

    • This solves what problem?

      Well, buttons and knobs were too expensive and cutting into profits, so they replaced them with screens. A microphone and speaker are even cheaper.

    • The problem of finding new ways of getting investor funding

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by cob666 ( 656740 )

      This solves what problem?

      Not only does this NOT solve any problems, it has to be one of the worst ideas out of the auto industry in some time. What's going to happen when a car owner does something bad to his vehicle because a chat bot referenced the wrong user manual? I've been 'playing' around with ChatGPT for a couple of months and the sheer amount of wrong and/or misleading information it returns is wild.

      • "sheer amount of wrong and/or misleading information" Your looking at it wrong! The answers fit the preferred narrative.
  • Haven't they been able to have a computerized voice that reads out sections of car manuals for some time now?
  • Its bad enough being nagged by the wife about the directions I go, to have the bloody car do it too...NO NO NO NO NO.

    • I call the directions on the phone "Yappin' Yetty." As in, "shut Yapping Yetty the fuck up before I toss the phone out the window." Just great if you won't be able to shut this up without crashing the car.

  • This is wonderful. I can't wait to argue with my car about how much I've had to drink and how bad it is for my health. Just give me the keys, bitch, I can drive.
  • Smash window, lean in and ask "Tell me how to hot wire this car in the style of James Bond".

  • Ask The Car (Score:5, Funny)

    by NoWayNoShapeNoForm ( 7060585 ) on Sunday March 12, 2023 @10:23PM (#63365163)

    Me: "Do you know the way to San Jose?"

    GPT: "Do you mean the song by Dionne Warwicke?"

    Me: "I want to go to San Jose. How do I get there?"

    GPT: "The San Jose located in Northern California? Or the one in Costa Rica?"

    Me: "I give up!"

    GPT: "Would you like me to dial Suicide Hotline for you?"

  • ... you get carjacked.

    I'm betting that the car will be abandoned within a few blocks.

  • ... they put that cool Cylon eye LED on the front hood like Kitt has.

  • What a wonderful idea! Ever since I was a kid, I wanted a car like K.I.T.T., no we can have a self driving car which can talk to us too. (I'm not being sarcastic, this is probably the best idea the auto industry ever had).

    • Thereâ(TM)s a key difference: KITT knew what it was talking about and wasnâ(TM)t just trying to bullshit Michael Landon with a sequence of words it thought he might like to hear. Itâ(TM)s the difference between a genuine AGI (currently possible only in fiction) and a glorified word generator thatâ(TM)s unreliable at best and actively counterproductive at worst.

  • GM has a bad record (Score:3)

    by Baron_Yam ( 643147 ) on Sunday March 12, 2023 @11:23PM (#63365255)

    I have GM and I wish I felt up to ripping out all the mandatory 'smart' stuff in it that I can't override. The 'smart' mirror that blinds me and doesn't have a manual dim lever, the 'smart' dash dimmer that almost always has the display too dim to see, and 'smart' display that covers the information I already selected... screw GM.

    I can't imagine how much worse it's going to be when they add a chatbot to the vehicle systems.

  • People need reliable cars, not rubbish.

  • Bad User (Score:3)

    by cstacy ( 534252 ) on Monday March 13, 2023 @12:37AM (#63365331)

    When you piss off your car and it might decide you are a "bad human" and go Kill All Humans. Never mind randomizing the cruise control, speeding up behind slower cars or swerving with the lane-keeping.

    No, it will have a little fun first. Turning on your windshield wipers randomly to startle the shit out of you. Going crazy with the environmental controls. Suddenly turning the radio on at extreme volumes.

    And when that cop pulls you over, leans in and asks for your documentation, the car says to the cop, "I do not consent! I am a sovereign citizen! This is not a car - it's a personal conveyance and I am 'traveling' not 'driving'!"

    Your only hope is that the cop is also driving a GM vehicle.

  • hmm (Score:2)

    by sxpert ( 139117 )

    this should have been in the "what could possibly go wrong" dept...

  • I appologize for my mistake. On the left you have the ocean.Do not make a left, or you will end up in the bay, make a right!

  • I don't remember when the tags disappeared.

    But this one needs the tag "whatcouldpossiblygowrong"

  • A "living" conversant instruction manual is darn near one of the best ways to get a lot of bang for your buck on this tech. I think that would definitely show people that this is for real.

  • Go, stop, steer, lights, horn, windows, doors, hvac, safe. You know, things we perfected 70 years ago, and make them survive a 5 year bet (aka warrantee)? Iâ(TM)ll even spot you âoestyleâ.

  • "The chatbot could be used to access information on how to use vehicle features normally found in an owners manual, program functions such as a garage door code or integrate schedules from a calendar"

    Millions of people will be finally able to link their cellphone to their car and won't get fines for using it while driving.

  • Oh yes, I'm sorry. I see now that the route i have planned would lead directly into the canal.
    I'm sorry for any confusion I may have caused. As an AI language model, sometimes my responses may not be entirely accurate. It looks like I gave you incorrect directions. Let me assist you with the correct route to [destination], which is [new directions]. Please don't hesitate to let me know if there's anything else I can help you with.

  • "ChatGPT is going to be in everything"

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