BMW and Alibaba to Develop AI for Cars in China

BMW Group and Alibaba Group have announced a strategic expansion of their cooperation, which will see Alibaba’s Qwen language model integrated into the next-generation BMW Neue Klasse. This was announced in a joint statement on March 26. The innovative cars will hit the Chinese market next year.

BMW’s personal assistant (IPA) will be developed based on the AI ​​developed jointly by both companies. It will use Yan AI technology from Banma, a subsidiary of Alibaba that specializes in intelligent solutions for cars.

In the BMW Neue Klasse, the Car Genius AI will be responsible for car functions, while Travel Companion will provide assistance with navigation and entertainment. The system will have to cope with complex queries, taking into account context and a variety of factors, from traffic to the driver’s personal preferences.

BMW and Alibaba have been collaborating since 2015 in cloud computing, intelligent manufacturing, and logistics.