April 27, 2024

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[THE INVESTOR]  Hyundai Motor  is expected to launch its own artificial intelligence assistant system for cars in the latter half of this year, ETnews reported on March 2, with the upcoming full-electric Ioniq becoming the first car to adopt the system.

The carmaker uses Amazon’s Alexa and Google Assistant for the cars sold in the US market but considering they offer services in English and German only, the carmaker has worked on its own AI assistant system to be used on its home turf.

The first-generation AI system will support voice commands to allow drivers to make phone calls or use other in-car infotainment system, including navigation. 

“In overseas markets, we teamed up with foreign partners but in Korea we have worked on our own system to offer Korean language service and reduce costs,” a Hyundai official was quoted as saying.

In August last year, Hyundai launched the Genesis G80 and G90 in the US to feature Amazon’s voice recognition-based assistant system Alexa for the first time. Working compatibly with Amazon Echo, the Internet of Things hub for homes, the system allows car owners to control their car at home.

Other Hyundai vehicles have also started supporting Google Assistant from early this year that is also based on voice recognition technology.

By Lee Ji-yoon (jylee@heraldcorp.com)