In a recent statement made to TechCrunch, Kia shared details about their AI voice assistant technology powering the EV3 SUV. The company's head of customer experience design, Pablo Martinez, mentioned that the large language model behind the AI assistant is ChatGPT from OpenAI but clarified that it has undergone significant modifications to enhance its capabilities. This technology, first introduced in the compact sedan Kia K4, has been revamped for the EV3 SUV, offering customers a more advanced way to engage with and manage the vehicle's features through voice commands.
By integrating generative AI into the voice assistant, Kia aims to provide users with a more seamless and natural interaction experience. The enhanced AI assistant on the EV3 model allows users to engage in conversations with the vehicle, enabling tasks such as trip planning, entertainment system control, and information retrieval. Kia plans to introduce this generative AI-powered voice assistant with the EV3 model initially and intends to expand its availability to other EV models in the future.
The launch of Kia's EV3 with its ChatGPT-powered AI assistant is scheduled for July in the company's home country, with a subsequent rollout in Europe during the second half of the year. While reports suggest that Kia may extend sales of the EV3 to other regions, the company has not officially confirmed any further expansion plans at this time.