Qualcomm, Alphabet Team up for Automotive AI, Mercedes inks Chip Deal
Qualcomm will collaborate with Alphabet's Google to enhance automotive AI capability and introduce two new chips to power automotive dashboards and self-driving features. That partnership would enable automakers to craft custom AI voice assistants based on technology from both companies.
They are expanding their focus further towards the automotive sector. The new Qualcomm chips support both dashboard interfaces and automated driving systems, which companies like General Motors already use. In this collaboration, companies Qualcomm and Google are working on an optimized Android Automotive OS suited specifically to Qualcomm chipsets.
Android Automotive OS is built into the car's computer architecture. Unlike Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, it does not project smartphone apps to the screens. The program allows manufactures to customize their solutions, and this partnership lets OEMs use Google's AI technology to create a customized voice assistant that doesn't rely on drivers' phones. They previously worked on projects outside of each other's radar," says Nakul Duggal, automotive group manager at Qualcomm. "This new partnership brings their work under one roof to help streamline such work and clear up customer confusion".
Shortly after the announcement of the partnership, Qualcomm revealed two new chips: Snapdragon Cockpit Elite, which would manage the dashboard tasks, and the Snapdragon Ride Elite for autonomous driving. Mercedes-Benz Group said it will install the Snapdragon Elite Cockpit chip in future models. However, the company has not detailed specific timelines or vehicle information.
