Mercedes-Benz Tests ChatGPT in Production

The vehicle manufacturer Mercedes-Benz is testing ChatGPT in its production ecosystem MO360, which was introduced in 2020. The aim is to use ChatGPT as a voice-based interface to support employees in production.

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) thus accelerates error identification and analysis as well as quality management and process optimisation, among other things. Mercedes-Benz integrates ChatGPT via Azure OpenAI Service and uses the enterprise functions of Microsoft’s cloud and AI platform.

Analysis chat

An automated analysis tool will link quality data from development, customer experience and production. According to Mercedes, this will enable potential malfunctions to be identified and analysed as quickly as possible.

In addition, ChatGPT is intended to support quality engineers in identifying faults by clustering data. For example, complex evaluations and presentations of production-relevant data are to be significantly simplified.

Instead of complex programming functions, the queries are controlled in dialogue, so that not only the engineers but also employees without programming knowledge have the necessary data at their disposal. They use Microsoft AI for the real-time processing of production data. The data thus remains within Mercedes-Benz’s own cloud – the MO360 Data Platform. Questions are narrowed down further and further in the digital conversation with the chatbot until an evaluable level of detail is reached and the desired result is available.

According to Mercedes, the overview of the daily production planning can be checked in real time and flexibly adjusted if necessary. ChatGPT is intended to support strategic decisions for the entire production chain within the shortest possible time. Thanks to the so-called democratisation of all relevant data, every employee can use ChatGPT to create quick evaluations and derive the next steps within the scope of his or her field of work.

Counselling as self-service

Another focus of integrating ChatGPT in production is to provide employees worldwide with an AI-based digital contact. Production workers communicate through MO360 via a self-service portal that is available on any company device – including tablets, smartphones and laptops. The MO360 Support Bot is designed to take queries and resolve them in dialogue with employees.

Privacy

The basis for the integration of ChatGPT is a cooperation with Microsoft. Via Azure AI, Mercedes-Benz uses the large-scale generative AI models in combination with the security, privacy and reliability features of the enterprise version of Azure. Mercedes-Benz has at all times sovereignty over the IT processes in the background. The employees’ voice inputs are processed anonymously in the Azure cloud. The production data remains in the MO360 Data Platform. Mercedes-Benz attaches great importance to data protection.