Cerence Inc. announced that BMW Group has selected Cerence to create a new voice and AI-powered virtual assistant in the latest version of the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant (IPA). These new capabilities are expected to be available first in the all-new BMW 7 Series and BMW i7 models. Designed with drivers' needs in mind, BMW IPA serves as the central operating channel of the human-machine interface and is central to BMW's in-cabin experience.

In the latest generation of BMW IPA, Cerence delivers enhanced natural language understanding that makes it easier than ever for BMW drivers and passengers to operate various in-car functions and complete tasks by using their voice. For example, drivers can say “I want to see the sky” to open the sunroof or “Find a high power charge.” Extending the 7 Series' in-car assistant capabilities, Cerence's technologies also now enable BMW drivers to activate Apple's Siri using only their voice – without pressing the push-to-talk button – creating a more streamlined experience for drivers using CarPlay. Further adding to the experience is a new feature that enables BMW drivers to get the most out of BMW IPA.

As drivers use the system and it gains knowledge about their preferences, BMW IPA can now serve spoken prompts about specific functions that drivers may want to know about, maximizing their safety, productivity and comfort on the road. BMW drivers in China will also benefit from increased functionality as BMW IPA now offers voice-powered control of key WeChat features like sending a message or making a voice call. The latest version of BMW IPA also features enhanced audio AI capabilities powered by Cerence, including rear-passenger speech signal enhancement and passenger interference cancelation.

Integrated with the 7 Series four-microphone array, these new capabilities enable all occupants to have a personalized experience in which they can speak directly to BMW IPA to meet their needs.