The latest technology trend in the auto industry seems to be the Artificial Intelligence personal assistance systems. These are basically advanced voice recognition systems with broader capabilities than their primitive forebears. BMW is the latest car maker to jump on the wagon and release their own AI Personal Assistant. 

Far be it from us to mock the modern technologies, but looking at the features of BMW AI Personal Assistant we can’t help thinking it’s just a gimmick. I mean, you say “Hey BMW” to wake the AI up and then say things like “I’m cold” and it will turn on the AC for you. This, as opposed to pushing the ‘Auto’ button on the air con panel. Do we really need the complicated and expensive AI system to accomplish that task? Aren’t we getting carried away with this whole thing?

Maybe such systems are supposed to get us ready for the future. Think about it. They want to replace the humans we usually converse with machine and AI. If you get used to talking with your car – an entity that will never say no to you or aggravate you in anyway – your tolerance for human conversation will greatly diminish. The worse part is, BMW AI Personal Assistant is actually intelligent. It can learn your habits and patterns and tailor itself so that you will always find it pleasant and helpful. You will come to trust it completely. It will know everything about you. This is kind of scary. What if somebody hacks the thing?

Dieter May, Senior Vice President Digital Products BMW Group, said: “BMW’s Intelligent Personal Assistant combines with the new BMW Operating System 7.0 to create a brand new, digital form of interaction with your BMW that redefines the whole driving experience.”