AI is going everywhere, and the next place it could land is your next car, as TomTom works with Microsoft to bring the tech to the driver’s seat.
If you want a solid indication that artificial intelligence is going to be everywhere shortly, you just need to see the announcement made by TomTom in collaboration with Microsoft.
It’s not even the new year and we’re already getting a solid trend for 2024, with AI in more places. You’ll find it in computers, courtesy of new chips by Intel and its rival AMD, and you’ll also be able to find it in cars, as well.
This week, TomTom has announced it is working with Microsoft and has built an AI-based navigation system of sorts that turns the driver cockpit into one that’s conversational. While most GPS systems are menu based, offering touchscreens while the car isn’t moving and physical controls when it is, TomTom’s approach is to have you just talk to your car and let conversational AI interpret things.
Called the TomTom Digital Cockpit, it’ll mean you can give it instructions on where you want to go, which won’t as of yet make the car automatically drive there, but will help the AI GPS assistant plan the route, particularly if you say you want to stop at certain places along the way.
TomTom also notes that it could even control other aspects of the car, such as changing the temperature, radio stations, or even opening the radio, potentially making your car that much easier to use and based solely on your voice.
“Leveraging our navigation and technology expertise, we’re creating a groundbreaking new way for people to interact with their vehicles,” said Mike Schoofs, Chief Revenue Officer for TomTom.
“With both companies integrating what they do best into one solution, we’re transforming the in-vehicle experience, enabling drivers to ask their car for anything and trust it will deliver,” he said.
There’s no word on where TomTom’s concept will land, let alone if it will come to Australian cars at all, especially given that Australian English tends to be a little bit different to American English where this is no doubt being tested, but we’re sure we’ll hear more about any companies who have signed up with TomTom’s AI-based Digital Cockpit at CES 2024, which is just around the corner.
