We borrowed a car with an AI system fitted to see what it's like to live with
If you believe the horror stories, AI is threatening to take over the world. I'm a bit less cynical, and I'm looking forward to uncovering new ways it can enhance our lives.
So I was very interested in accepting an invitation from the nice people at DS Automobiles to test out a new AI system built into the luxurious DS 7 SUV. Would it try to take over and grab at the wheel? Would it hijack my sat nav and take me off in its own direction? Would it try to convince me to switch my energy provider? Either way, I was keen to find out.
There's nothing visible inside the DS 7's rather opulent interior to hint at the new technology that's bundled in. No vulgar ChatGPT logos, and no sinister hidden cameras or anything like that. That's just not what it's about, or so I'm assured.
The reason DS has integrated one of the biggest names in AI tech is to enhance its DS Iris system. Think of iris as an automotive Alexa, and perhaps overlook the fact it's Siri spelt backwards, but DS has been playing with a voice recognition system for a while. ChatGPT just makes it much, much cleverer.
How clever? Well, let me give you some examples of what the freshly-educated Iris can do. Say, for example, you're visiting a new town or city, Iris can now give you personalised suggestions of where to go, what to see and do, how kind the weather will be, or just let you know where the nearest petrol station or charging bay is.
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It's handy stuff, but it goes one step further than that. Iris can also play "games" with you. She can devise a bespoke quiz, or even indulge you in a brief bout of I Spy.
The new AI tech means drivers can get personalised suggestions for their route as they goYes, I kid you not, you could be trundling through a contraflow and answering a series of tricky questions about 1990s pop culture to help pass the time.
It is, then, extremely clever. But there are limitations. For example, I was enjoying a quiz about UK wildlife while queuing at some roadworks near my house, but a sat nav instruction came up and Iris seemed to forget we were in the middle of something. It's as if warning sounds interrupt her, she loses her place, and the game is abandoned.
This, of course, is something that has probably already been fixed with an Over-the-Air update, but something that can't necessarily be baked in remotely is the ability to control physical things in the car.
Iris isn't clever enough to wind down a window, for example. She can't open the blinds for the panoramic roof and, while she can set up your radio station or alter the directions in your sat nav - that's nothing new.
The DS 7 SUVChatGPT does have some other clever features, though, especially of the boredom-busting variety. It can read your kids a story, if you ask it to. And it has a surprisingly large array of jokes to entertain you with.
It's not entirely suited to getting into deep and philosophical discussions, that said. I asked Iris if God existed, and the answer was wonderfully diplomatic and inconclusive, but perhaps quite well-judged. I was given similar vague advice on the question of whether I should send my children to a private or comprehensive school, and she really didn't seem to like being asked which political party I should vote for a the next general election.
Having said, that, Iris really didn't hold back on her opinions when I asked her to write a short review of the DS 7. Perhaps predictably, she found little to fault with it.
To engage with Iris you need to say "OK Iris" and a visible graphic will appear on the car's touch screen to let you know she's listening. I preferred to use a handy button on the steering wheel to wake her up, but passengers will still be able to tap in to her charming personality from elsewhere in the car.
Is it a gimmick? Possibly. Would I use it? Yes, the more you get to grips with it the more scenarios you can imagine in which it could be really useful.
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In a sense, it's little more than a digital assistant who can take your question and very quickly use the internet to find an answer. But it's the coherent and personable way the answer is delivered, almost always accurately, that gives it its inherent value.
AI is expected to be rolled out by a handful of other car models in years to comeDS's parent company Stellantis seems to have a lot of faith in this software. So much so, in fact, that it has just been announced that ChatGPT will be rolled out across the Peugeot range this year.
And, it has to be remembered, it's still technically a pilot scheme, due to be rolled out properly later in 2024.
But it shows great promise, so one can expect this is a technology we're about to start seeing in more and more cars as the years go by.
Should we be worried? Absolutely not. It is what it is, an extension of the rather limited voice assistants we've been living with for a decade or so. Should we all start picking out cars that have AI built in? Don't put it high on your priority list.
It's a really useful tool, and can be a lot of fun. At the very least it's a party piece, but you can live without it.
I very much enjoyed my brief fling with Iris, and I hope our paths cross again some time. But when I climbed back into my own car after giving the DS 7 back, I can't say I missed having her by my side.
Maybe one day I will though, who knows.
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