Amazon’s latest annual Devices and Services launch declared that BMW will continue its partnership with Amazon Alexa to build BMW’s “next-generation” voice assistant. The partnership between Amazon and BMW began in 2018 when the latter started integrating Amazon Alexa into its various cars.
However, this new partnership marks a bigger move for both companies. BMW was only using Amazon Alexa in its cars until now. Going forward, BMW is going to develop its own voice assistant with the help of Amazon Alexa’s underlying technology. BMW will soon have an automotive-specific AI voice assistant if things go according to plan. It will be the first car manufacturer to build its own voice assistant using Alexa’s existing framework.
Executives from both Amazon and BMW are excited about this collaboration. According to Amazon’s VP of devices and services Dave Limp, this collaboration is a step toward turning Amazon Alexa’s vision into reality. He says it has always been the goal of Alexa to provide customizable voice assistants to other companies. He also expects other companies to come forward and adopt Amazon Alexa for custom intelligent assistants.
Stephan Durach from BMW echoed the same vision. Durach stated that this collaboration will bring a new wave of digital experience for car owners.
BMW’s partnership with Amazon marks an important development for Amazon Alexa in the automotive market. It continues to be the leading voice assistant for car manufacturers. This announcement comes right after the launch of Amazon’s second-generation Echo Auto – a more compact voice assistant for vehicles.
