The Future of ChatGPT, Chat AI & Generative AI Products - Conversations with SoundHound, Faraday Future & TechInsights

ChatGPT, Chat AI and generative AI products are delivering new answers to complex questions in vehicles. SoundHound AI and Faraday Future offer AI to interact with drivers, while ChatGPT could revolutionise in-car interactions. In this special report, we learn from SoundHound, Faraday Future and TechInsights about the future of AI and auto.

SoundHound Chat AI

In April, SoundHound AI introduced SoundHound Chat AI for Automotive, an in-vehicle voice assistant for automakers.

SoundHound Chat AI is a new, proprietary approach that treats generative AI as another domain, like weather, sports results or parking. When a user asks a question, it uses a combination of software engineering and machine learning to intelligently select the right response, says Mike Zagorsek, COO, SoundHound.

"The user gets an answer every time. There are no more 'I'm sorry, I didn't get that" responses. It cuts down on AI hallucinations – the erroneous and misleading responses that large language models sometimes give in response to the real-time queries they can not handle." 

He says SoundHound is the first to deliver this kind of voice technology to automakers.

A SoundHound study implies that 50% of all US drivers are keen to have its Chat AI capabilities in their vehicles. "That's millions of potential users," says Zagorsek.

"The response has been extremely encouraging. It is clear that - just like consumers - automakers see this kind of next-generation technology as critical to the future of the vehicle.”

"We believe this move towards voice AI as a core consumer interface will create tremendous opportunities for all kinds of businesses. Ultimately, there will be an interconnected ecosystem that allows users to search, plan, order, communicate, and entertain using voice-enabled tech," he explains.

SoundHound works across industries and also provides voice technology to restaurants.

On May 3, SoundHound AI announced that its SoundHound for Restaurants voice AI technology is available for integration with Oracle MICROS Simphony Point-of-Sale (POS) for Restaurants.

"In the near future, we envision connecting the restaurants service to our in-car offering. Then you can order your takeout on your drive home and have it delivered when you arrive home." 

"These conveniences will ultimately free people up to spend less time hunched over a phone or a computer and more time being productive and enjoying time with friends and family," adds Zagorsek.

Faraday Future: Future Predictions

In May, Faraday Future announced the launch of FF's Generative AI Product Stack, which will be integrated into the FF 91.

A Faraday Future video demonstration shows a backseat passenger asking FF Generative AI to, "Tell me the best investment strategy in the current inflationary environment."

"In an inflationary environment, an ideal investment strategy includes diversification focuses on real assets such commodities, real estate and infrastructure," the female voice answers.

"If LeBron James and Michael Jordan played on the same team who would score more points?" the passenger asks.

She replies, "It is impossible to say for sure who would score the most points as it depends on various factors such as game strategy, player roles and opponent's defence. However, both players are highly skilled and dominant in their own ways. So it is safe to say they would make a formidable team."

The answers also appear on the interior car screen with images.

Faraday Future developed the product based on its investment in technology.

"Developing the Generative AI Product Stack was a natural progression for us at Faraday Future. Our experience and investments in software, AI, and human-machine interaction have laid the foundation for this innovation," says Prashant Gulati, Head of Corporate Strategy at Faraday Future.

Faraday Future users are busy individuals who value productivity and efficiency. They appreciate advanced technology, he says.

"Recognizing the immense potential of generative AI and how Faraday Future users interact with their vehicles, we have taken the next step in our journey to create a cutting-edge, tailored experience for their unique lifestyle," says Gulati.

Faraday Future has had considerable interest and anticipation from its community since it announced that it be one of the first automotive manufacturers to integrate and demonstrate generative AI capabilities in a vehicle, he reports.

"Our users have expressed excitement about the ability to integrate advanced generative AI models, which can significantly enhance the in-car experience through personalized applications, with major implications for productivity, entertainment, communication, e-commerce, and more." 

In the future, FF plans to safely introduce new and useful generative AI applications in the car.

"Our vision is for the FF 91 to become an evolving, intelligent, and interactive companion that caters to the unique needs of our users. We plan to work closely with our FPO (Futurist Product Officer) community, as well as our partner and developer ecosystem to make this happen," says Gulati.

How Can ChatGPT Work in Vehicles?

ChatGPT has the potential to revolutionise voice HMI in vehicles. It is considered to be safer to interact using voice while driving, as the drivers' attention remains on the road scene and visual as well as manual workload is minimized, says Claudia Krehl, In-Vehicle User Experience Researcher, TechInsights.

Voice interactions also facilitate tasks that the driver finds difficult to perform such as text entry or locating a rarely accessed setting.

However, most in-vehicle voice recognition systems remain clumsy and cumbersome to use. User frustration increases and often leads to the cessation of use, reports Krehl.

The advantages of voice-searching chatbots like ChatGPT are they have the potential to broaden the scope of questions that can be asked and the answers that are given. Unlike Alexa for example, much more information can be provided that goes beyond simple lists of web pages or points-of-interests.

What Are the Concerns Surrounding ChatGPT Vehicle Use?

Krehl has concerns about ChatGPT in vehicles. She notes that reliability is still questionable. It is still too inaccurate to be relied upon for some use cases. The removal of bias, stereotyping and fake news from answers would also be imperative to its success.

Problems can arise from a lack of knowledge base. The knowledge base is finite and is only as good as the information provided. Missing data from anything after 2021 is problematic.

The AI needs to understand tasks and use cases specific to car environments as well as the details for each car.

It needs to understand when it should or should not engage in conversation. There is a risk of potentially causing increased driver workload or taking attention away from the road scene, which could be risky, especially in certain more demanding driving conditions, she reports.

Voice interaction is not loved by all consumers, especially when driving with passengers. It is viewed as always listening and thereby intrusive. It is unclear if well-executed natural conversations will be enough to increase engagement, adds Krehl.

AI ChatGPT interactions can have less company bias and more interconnectivity. This new technology could bring less bias such as Alexa towards Amazon goods and increased interconnectivity. For example, it could "look for a recipe and collate ingredients into a shopping list".

"The potential for natural language processes in cars is huge and could revolutionise interactions. However, a lot of work is required to achieve this," says Krehl.