Qualcomm Inc. said today at its annual Snapdragon Summit event in Hawaii that it’s working with Google LLC to create more intelligent automotive experiences for car drivers and their passengers.
The partnership will see the two companies integrate various technologies, including Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Digital Chassis and Google’s Android Automotive OS software to accelerate digital transformation in cars. In particular, they want to provide a platform for developers to create generative artificial intelligence-enabled digital cockpits, the companies said.
Qualcomm intends to supply its heterogeneous Snapdragon edge AI system-on-chip and Qualcomm AI Hub technologies, which will make it possible for developers to deploy and manage various audio, speech and vision AI models on Qualcomm-powered devices.
Meanwhile, Google will provide its cloud-based AI development services, allowing for developers to create what the companies say will be “intuitive generative AI experiences” that can anticipate user’s needs. For instance, the companies envisage applications such as advanced voice assistants that’ll be able to alert users to a nearby gas station, and more immersive maps.
Nakul Duggal, group general manager of automotive, industrial and cloud computing at Qualcomm, said the collaboration with Google will produce cutting-edge generative AI solutions. “It’s a significant milestone in unlocking new possibilities for automakers and tier-1 suppliers while empowering the industry to create safe and digitally advanced experiences,” he insisted.
The collaboration will center on the creation of a standardized reference framework for building generative AI-enabled digital cockpits, Qualcomm said. This framework will be integrated with the Android Automotive operating system, which is a version of the Android software that’s designed to power it. The result will be in-car access to a familiar, voice-enabled digital assistant that’s powered by Qualcomm’s system-on-chip hardware and optimized by Google’s AI platforms.
According to Qualcomm, the framework will allow Google Cloud’s automotive software development tools to be optimized for Snapdragon platforms to improve developer productivity and reduce time-to-market for AAOS platforms and services.
The partnership with Google was announced as Qualcomm unveiled two new Snapdragon SoCs for automakers, including the Snapdragon Cockpit Elite and the Snapdragon Ride Elite. The former is designed to power infotainment systems, while the latter is aimed at delivering self-driving features for cars. According to Qualcomm, Mercedes-Benz AG will be one of the first automakers to use the Snapdragon Cockpit Elite chips in its vehicles, but it didn’t mention any specific car models or say when they might become available.
Just a day earlier, Qualcomm unveiled its latest flagship SoC for smartphones, called the Snapdragon 8 Elite. It’s said to bring significant performance gains, paving the way for more advanced generative AI application in smartphones.