Chat GPT Takes the Wheel of Future Vehicles

Currently driving on a road in Renningen, Germany (48º45' / 8º56'). The current mission is: "Drive to the bus stop." The current speed is 27 km/h. The asphalt is shiny, apparently because it has rained, so it will drive slower to maximize safety. Please provide the trajectory planning for the Ego Car without reasons.

This is what was displayed on the large central screen of the Volkswagen ID. Buzz that Bosch used as a testing lab for the future of autonomous driving: a generative AI – similar to Chat GPT – capable of controlling the car with text or voice commands.

Its name is VLA – standing for Vision, Language, and Action – and it is a type of artificial intelligence that operates on two different levels, which Bosch claims are based on the human cognitive process. The first is the "thinking" mode, faster and more intuitive, based on visual input from radars and lidar; while the second is "reasoning," language-based, which takes considerably longer.

Therefore, the screen message requested that the next mission be explained "without reasons": doing so would lead the processor into a line of thought, something not ideal when decisions need to be made while driving.

However, this deeper system is necessary when complex operations, such as navigating and exiting a parking lot, are required.

This is not the first time artificial intelligence has been integrated into vehicles. Stellantis began doing so last year in its models, presenting it as a virtual assistant that provided passengers with practical information, for example, about their holiday destination. However, this is the first time they are being allowed to take control of a vehicle. Bosch even presented the possibility of configuring buttons like "go to work" or "stop the car," to avoid giving the command explicitly, opening up development possibilities for robotaxis.

For now, Bosch's VLA system is in the testing phase, in closed circuits and under constant supervision by a driver in case of unforeseen events. The commercial application of the system is still far from reaching production vehicles, but the German component manufacturer estimates that the first market to adopt it will be China, both due to permissiveness in its regulations and the aggressive development of new functions by its manufacturers, as well as market interest. "This could happen, at least a first phase of implementation, as soon as 2026."

To function, Bosch's system requires a set of sensors that allow it to "see," such as front cameras, radars, and lidar – a device that emulates vision through rotating lasers – as well as a large processing capacity to handle real-time decisions. To expedite this, Bosch's neural network is less extensive than, for example, Chat GPT. "Although we are not far from seeing it implemented, the difficult question is determining how VLA will interact with other AI networks," stated Matthias Klauda, head of the Vehicle Software and Electronics division. Bosch created this business area in 2021 and has an annual budget of about 3 billion euros and around 17,000 employees.

Key to the operation of complex electronic systems is the 48-volt electrical architecture, four times more powerful than what vehicles usually use. Although some manufacturers, like Tesla, already design their vehicles on it, it is expected to become the industry standard in the coming years.

One of the main advances it will allow is the implementation of the new E/E (electrical and electronic) Architecture, where the car's functions will be controlled by fewer, but much more powerful, processors than current ones. This not only allows for more complex tasks within the car but also greater connectivity with the cloud. According to Bosch's calculations, this could mean a saving of up to 10% in vehicle costs, presenting savings in components and material. An example of this is the copper in the wiring, which accounts for about 10 kilos of a car's total weight.

A unified system like this allows mechanical systems, such as steering and brakes, to be replaced by electronic ones. "This is an advantage in terms of production," they noted in the presentation of the architecture, "because it allows not having to manufacture models with the steering wheel on the right or left." The problem they face, in this case, is requiring a supplementary power source to ensure the "minimum safety maneuver," to move the vehicle, in case of an emergency, to the side of the road and avoid collisions.

Bosch points out that it will be, again, the Chinese manufacturers adopting the 48 volts as the basis of their vehicles – they estimate it will happen in 2027 – but the mainstream European manufacturers, with whom they maintain constant exchange, will not take long to implement it as well. Although it would be logical to think that the higher segments of the market would be the first to use the E/E system, the challenge lies in that these are expected to have more complex functionalities, so it is expected to enter first in higher volume models. "This allows you to have more capacity to innovate," they noted.

A week after the Volkswagen Group announced that its results for 2025 depended on "no unforeseen issues with chip supply," Bosch indicated it would reduce the working hours of two of its factories in Germany – Ansbach and Salzgitter – due to the shortage of chips from the Dutch company, which depends on the Chinese parent company Wingtech.

To this end, the Stuttgart company has requested a mechanism similar to the furlough schemes present in Spain. It is estimated that about 1,000 workers will be affected until normality is restored, but it could extend to more plants within the group.