TomTom Teams Up with Microsoft to Develop AI Voice Assistant for Vehicles

TomTom, a specialist in digital maps and location technology, has joined forces with Microsoft to create an AI voice assistant tailored for vehicles. This automotive assistant facilitates voice interactions for location searches, infotainment, and vehicle commands. Drivers can engage in a "conversation" with the vehicle, asking questions about navigation, adjusting temperature, opening windows, or changing radio stations using voice commands. The AI assistant utilizes various Microsoft products, including Azure OpenAI Service, Azure Kubernetes Services, Azure Cosmos DB, and Azure Cognitive Services. Initially integrated into TomTom's Digital Cockpit, the in-vehicle infotainment platform, it is designed for potential integration into other automotive infotainment systems. TomTom, a competitor to Google Maps, has collaborated with Microsoft since 2016, powering Azure Maps location services. Mike Schoofs, CRO at TomTom, expressed a shared vision with Microsoft to drive innovation using generative AI, providing customers with enhanced solutions. In a separate development in July, TomTom became the first company of its kind to release a plugin for ChatGPT, allowing developers to incorporate AI-based navigation features into their apps and enabling drivers to engage in conversations for location search, routing, and traffic information.