Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV will be the first to use Alexa
Custom Assistant, relying on Amazon-built speech recognition and other software
to power the automaker's in-car tools, Amazon said Friday in a statement. The
retail and technology giant also invited other companies to customize the
underlying Alexa system with their own wake word, voice and unique
capabilities.
Alexa is most closely associated with Echo smart speakers,
but Amazon has been working to extend the software's reach, and fend off rivals
like Apple and Alphabet's Google, by adding utility for tasks like home
automation and the potentially lucrative and fiercely contested market for
in-car software.
Amazon, which lacks the massive base of captive smartphone
users of its main rivals, has suggested voice assistants should be able to talk
to one another. The company, like competitors, already offers for rent elements
of the technology that powers its digital assistant, but Alexa Custom Assistant
represents a more complete set of tools, Amazon said.
Previously, owners of some newer Fiat Chrysler models who
wanted to roll their windows down or inquire about the weather at their
destination had to shift between two experiences: speaking to a custom-built
voice software by pressing a button on the steering wheel, or invoking Alexa by
voice. The new arrangement folds all interactions into one system, integrating
in-car functions with the rest of Amazon's web of data.
The companies declined to comment on the terms of the deal.
An Amazon spokeswoman said that under the new arrangement, Amazon will manage
voice data for users who choose to sign in with an Amazon account, sharing with
Fiat Chrysler only the intent of a user's action.
Some automakers, wary of inviting Silicon Valley to step
between them and their drivers, have resisted striking deals with technology
companies to power car functions and entertainment systems. Some have turned to
developers like Cerence Inc. to build custom-made voice assistants.
Fiat Chrysler, which will complete its merger with French
rival PSA Group next week to become Stellantis NV, has adopted a more frugal
technology strategy than larger competitors in the wake of its 2009 bankruptcy.
As a result, it has been more open to partnering to navigate the technological
disruption of the auto industry. It was among the first automakers to strike a
deal with Waymo, the self-driving unit of Alphabet, to supply minivans for
Waymo's robotaxi fleets.
Automakers “are starting to say the capabilities are so
compelling that it's hard to say no entirely,” said Matt Arcaro, who tracks
automotive technology use for researcher IDC. “The multiassistant vehicle is
the goal right now, and I don't think there is a lot of cooperation between
Google and Alexa in working together.”