The hot new feature touted by a number of automakers recently involves a software update as opposed to a new piece of hardware. As AI technology gets more widespread, the likes of Mercedes and Volkswagen are rolling out changes to their interior technology so that drivers can get additional assistance with navigation and finding places to stop along their route.
And if one automaker happens to share its owner with an AI company — well, that would make the whole process that much easier, right? Well, maybe. As Electrek’s Fred Lambert reports, Tesla’s latest software update involves adding Grok to certain Tesla models, though the new feature comes with a few caveats.
Specifically, the release notes specify that “Grok is currently in Beta [and] does not issue commands to your car — existing voice commands remain unchanged.” Lambert notes that this is a step down from the ways that other automakers are integrating AI technology into their vehicles. Earlier this year, Chinese automaker BYD revealed that it was adding AI-based driver assistance technology to its most affordable EVs, for instance.
How AI Helped Amplify a Falsehood About Jaguar’s “Woke” Rebrand
If you were on X last week, you may have seen a story about Jaguar’s sales decline that omitted the most important piece of informationGiven the recent headlines focusing on Grok, though, maybe having Grok interface directly with a vehicle’s operating system isn’t the best choice right now. In the last two weeks, Grok has spread racist conspiracy theories, disseminated misinformation about another automaker and — most infamously — referred to itself as “MechaHitler.” Do you want MechaHitler riding shotgun as you drive? I know I don’t.
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