For quite some time now, homes across the nation have been asking “Alexa”, Google's pod-shaped assistant, to help them with tasks ranging from finding Chinese takeout, to checking to see how bad their commute home will be. This is a machine that “lives in a cloud”, so its always getting smarter, and updates are delivered automatically. The more you interact, the more your speech patterns and personal preferences are noticed, and you can also do things like request an Uber ride, or control your TV. It was bound to be only a very short matter of time until many consumers were anxious to have this type of technical prowess along with them for their ride, and Kia has already undertaken the duty of development.
Beginning in 2019, Kia vehicles will ship complete with a voice-powered virtual assistant, equipped with built-in artificial intelligence. Slated to be unveiled at CES 2018, the assistant will be named “Intelligent Personal Agent”, and will put to use connectivity that is provided by cars, combined with voice recognition software. It will also tap into user's other services, to provide valuable assistance while consumers are going about their daily tasks. Work has begun with SoundHound to develop this assistant, an entity that has already completed its own trademark AI tool. Already available to consumers as a smartphone app, “Hound” is currently one of the most advanced assistant apps in existence.
When rolled out to the public, the Intelligent Personal Agent will have the ability to tap into calendars, map platforms, and use other services to be able to predict what the driver will need. You will be able to be reminded of an upcoming meeting, or glean suggestions about when to leave your starting point based on traffic patterns. Control of heating systems, door locks, and other parts of the vehicle will also be possible. While Nissan and BMW are working with Amazon to add the now-familiar Alexa into their vehicles, we are confident that Kia's unique assistant will in many ways be the most useful addition to a vehicle in automotive history.
Every single company involved in auto production is looking to offer infotainment center-based alternatives to AppleCarPlay and Android Auto, in an effort to make sure that there is more control over the experience. Founded in 2005, SoundHound has their headquarters located in Santa Clara, California. During 2014, SoundHound became the first wearable music search product available ever, and two years later, boasted over 300 million users worldwide. When vehicles with such technical prowess and ability hit the market, you can bet that we will be able to show you all the exciting details right here at Jim Butler in St Louis: as the future rapidly collides with the present, options for in-car control are bound to dazzle even the savviest of drivers in their new domains!
