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Bosch, together with Microsoft, is investigating how to use generative artificial intelligence to improve automated driving functions and as a result, open up new dimensions of AI applications in vehicles. An objective which, if achieved, will lead, explains Tanja Rueckert, member of the Board of Directors of Bosch and Chief Digital Officer, to an epochal turning point, as happened with the invention of the computer.
Now that generative artificial intelligence is no longer limited to language, but also extends to images and videos, the time is “ripe” to be able to use it together with safety systems integrated in autonomous driving.
Bosch explains this concept using the following scenario: a ball rolls down the street and a child runs after it. If a driver, in such a situation, can act based on many factors, this is a great challenge for today’s assisted and automated driving systems. To date, these systems are already capable of recognizing people, animals, objects and vehicles. But, what Bosch and Microsoft want is that in the future generative artificial intelligence will also be able to recognize if an accident is imminent. Bosch hopes that, as the artificial intelligence is constantly trained with a wealth of impressed data, it will be able (hopefully soon) to recognize whether an object on the road is dangerous for driving or not, for example a harmless plastic bag or perhaps damaged parts of the vehicle that could become dangerous in the event of a collision. With this information, the AI will then be able to warn the driver with an alert directly on the dashboard display or, better yet, react directly, for example by braking and turning on the emergency lights.
The fact that Bosch considers the development of solutions involving the use of artificial intelligence to be crucial for its business is demonstrated by its collaboration with other important players on the market such as AWS and Google. It is no coincidence that Bosch has invested in the most important German artificial intelligence startup, Aleph Alpha. And this important investment is now starting to bear fruit. Indeed In North America, Bosch, in collaboration with Aleph Alpha, introduced AI-based speech recognition on behalf of a premium automotive manufacturer. A voice bot understands and responds to roadside assistance calls using natural language processing that also recognizes dialects, accents and moods. According to Bosch, 40% of requests are processed and resolved automatically. In case of more complex questions, the bot takes care of sending all the relevant information to a help center operator, who immediately takes charge of the case.