Mercedes Adds Offline In-Car AI Assistant Built With Liquid AI

Privacy and speed

Processing data inside the car also reduces round trips to a data center, which limits exposure of sensitive information. Not depending on the network should also cut latency and make responses quicker.

The most frequent voice commands concern navigation, radio, ventilation and phone calls, so improving how well the car understands them is a priority. More complex questions are still part of the system. If a request goes beyond what the on-board model can handle, it is handed over to cloud-based models.

CEO Ola Källenius said that with many product launches ahead and AI changing how people work, Mercedes is focused on building a faster, more efficient and more competitive brand. Jason Hoff, head of Mercedes in North America, called a more freely conversational AI system a top priority for customers, and said the company is also investing heavily in improved automated driving with other partners.

Which models and when

The assistant is already rolling out in North America, starting with the E-Class and CLE. The S-Class, GLC and GLE are due to follow shortly. No additional subscription is required. European models are likely to be covered later, though no timing has been given.