Stellantis and Mistral AI to Develop AI-Powered In-Car Assistant

An AI-powered in-car assistant for drivers is the latest of several initiatives being explored in an expanded partnership between automaker Stellantis and Mistral AI.

The companies are developing the in-car assistant after working together on other artificial intelligence (AI)-driven projects for over a year, they said in a Friday (Feb. 7) press release.

“Together, we are exploring AI’s potential across several domains to enhance our product development, customer experience and deliver real benefits,” Ned Curic, chief engineering and technology officer at Stellantis, said in the release.

In the case of the AI-powered in-car assistant, Stellantis and Mistral AI aim to create a “real-time, voice-enabled user manual” that drivers can interact with using natural language and receive answers to their questions about vehicle features, troubleshooting or warning indicators, according to the report.

Over the past year, the two companies have been exploring using AI interacting with company product data to help engineers identify, compare and optimize part selections; process data from development fleets and surveys to identify trends and corrective actions that can improve product quality and customer satisfaction; help employees in France and later other European countries purchase company vehicles; and detect manufacturing errors in real time to allow operators to make corrections before components are released, the report said.

“This partnership is an important step in our commitment to making GenAI more accessible and valuable,” Mistral AI CEO and Co-founder Arthur Mensch said in the release.

AI is poised to redefine automakers’ customer interactions and revolutionize the driving experience, PYMNTS reported in January. Partnerships between automakers and tech giants are reshaping vehicles into interconnected, software-driven products.

In addition to reshaping how carmakers interact with consumers, generative AI is also revolutionizing how they approach R&D and pushing the boundaries of vehicle design and manufacturing, according to the PYMNTS Intelligence report, “How Generative AI Is Boosting Innovation for Carmakers and Drivers.”

The report found that 93% of automotive stakeholders said generative AI will significantly impact the industry and that 75% plan to integrate it into their operations within the year.

Another PYMNTS Intelligence report, “Preparing For a Voice Commerce Future,” found in 2023 that 15% of consumers in the United States had used voice capabilities built into their cars in the 12 months prior to the survey.

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