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Mercedes-Benz is leveraging generative AI and a new operating system to create a more intuitive and human-like interaction between drivers and their vehicles, with features like a personality-driven virtual assistant and immersive audio experiences rolling out in 2024.
At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2024, Mercedes-Benz unveiled a suite of technological upgrades centered on a more natural and immersive in-car experience. The highlights include a generative artificial intelligence (AI)-powered virtual assistant and a new Sound Drive audio system, previewing the future of the brand's infotainment. These innovations are part of the forthcoming Mercedes-Benz Operating System (MB.OS), which will debut on the new MMA platform designed for electric vehicles.
The star of the show is the MBUX Virtual Assistant, which Mercedes-Benz claims is its most natural-sounding system to date. Unlike simple command-based assistants, this version uses generative AI to understand context and respond conversationally. The system is summoned by the familiar "Hey Mercedes" prompt but offers a significantly advanced experience.
A key feature is its use of four distinct personality traits: Natural, Predictive, Personal, and Empathetic. This means the AI can tailor its response based on the situation. For example, its predictive function can learn from contextual clues, while the empathetic setting aims to provide a more understanding tone. The assistant's "emotion" is visualized through an animated living star avatar in the center of the dashboard screen, which displays different moods like calmness or excitement to show when it's listening, thinking, or speaking.
The system is built on the Unity game engine, known for high-quality 3D graphics, allowing for detailed visualizations on the Concept CLA Class's expansive screen. This graphical power also enables useful features like Surround Navigation, which blends real-time sensor and camera data with route guidance for a more comprehensive view of the driving environment.
Beyond the AI assistant, Mercedes is enhancing in-car entertainment with two key developments: MBUX Sound Drive and new content partnerships.
MBUX Sound Drive is an innovative feature that turns driving dynamics into a musical experience. Scheduled for an over-the-air update in mid-2024, it will react to a vehicle's acceleration, braking, and turning by modulating sounds, effectively making the car an instrument. This is designed for a more engaging, immersive drive.
For more traditional listening, Mercedes announced partnerships with Audible and Amazon Music. Crucially, this marks the first integration of Dolby Atmos technology for spoken audio in a car. Dolby Atmos adds height channels to sound systems, creating a more realistic, three-dimensional audio experience. While only dozens of Audible's vast library are currently in Atmos, the integration promises a superior listening experience for podcasts and audiobooks. Select models with second-generation MBUX will get Amazon Music in Dolby Atmos, while newer E-Class and CLE models will receive an update for Audible in Q3 2024.
These technologies preview the ecosystem that will be standard on Mercedes-Benz's next-generation electric vehicles. The Concept CLA Class, shown at CES, is the forerunner. It is built on the Mercedes-Benz Modular Architecture (MMA) platform, which is designed primarily for EVs.
The MMA platform will be the backbone for four new models and will be powered by MB.OS. This centralized system will control every interface in the car. The Concept CLA Class also boasts impressive claimed efficiency, with a range of over 466 miles on a single charge based on European testing standards and an energy consumption of 5.2 miles per kilowatt-hour.
Based on our assessment experience, the key takeaway is that Mercedes-Benz is focusing on personalization and immersion. The new AI assistant aims to move beyond simple commands to a more conversational partnership, while the audio innovations seek to deepen the connection between the driver, the vehicle, and entertainment. For potential buyers, the rollout will be gradual, with some features like Sound Drive arriving via updates in 2024, while the full MB.OS experience will debut with the new MMA-based vehicles.
