Tesla has released a new software update in China that has upgraded the in-car voice command system to a voice assistant. The improvements were included in the 2023.44.30.8 software update that started rolling out this week.
According to the official release notes shared by Tesla China, the feature is referred to as a “voice assistant,” departing from the previous naming convention of referring to it as voice commands. As the new name suggests, instead of just interpreting your voice input and actioning it, you can now interact with the new voice assistant, which can respond to your questions. Some of the new capabilities include being able to check weather forecasts, stock prices, translate English, and even read Tang poetry, all in a natural voice.
“It knows a lot of encyclopedic knowledge and can also answer your questions about vehicle use,” Tesla says in the release notes (translated from Chinese).
As you can see, the release notes do not explain what is powering the new voice assistant, but Elon Musk has recently hinted that his latest project, Grōk, a new artificial intelligence feature added to X (formerly Twitter) built by his new company xAI, could soon be integrated into Tesla vehicles. However, since the feature has launched first in China, it is unlikely that it is Grōk, but it does give us a glimpse into what the future could look like with a fully-integrated Grōk.
The 2023.44.30.8 software update has also been released in North America, but it does not feature the new voice assistant. Tesla’s software releases in China often include features exclusive to that region, but hopefully this voice assistant is not one of them.
Here’s a look at the new voice assistant in China. (via Not A Tesla App)
