TomTom collaborates with Microsoft to develop AI-powered conversational assistant for vehicles, challenging Google Maps.
TomTom announced on Tuesday that it has collaborated with Microsoft to develop an AI-driven conversational assistant for cars. This assistant will enable users to have natural conversations with their vehicles and engage in voice interactions with infotainment, location search, and vehicle command systems, according to the company.
TomTom, which competes with Google Maps and HERE, the world’s largest mapping platform, used several Microsoft services, including its Azure OpenAI service, to create the voice assistant.
The Microsoft Azure OpenAI service allows companies to take advantage of OpenAI’s large language models (LLM) from the ChatGPT manufacturer.
The voice assistant can be integrated with other car infotainment systems and is also built into TomTom’s Digital Cockpit, an open, modular in-vehicle infotainment platform, the Dutch map maker said.
CFO Taco Titulaer told Reuters in October that TomTom saw new opportunities in generative artificial intelligence and was “investing time, money and people” in the technology.
TomTom had released the LLM extension for ChatGPT in July to allow users of the chatbot to plan trips and explore new places using its maps.
The company started working with Microsoft in 2016 when it first started offering Azure Maps location services.
