Brainchip redacted?
All the indications are that we are still working with Mercedes, but this Mercedes EQXX page no longer mentions Akida:
https://www.mercedes-benz.com/en/innovation/concept-cars/vision-eqxx-the-new-benchmark-of-effiency
In addition the concurrent article from January 2022 in Motortrend is now dated March 2024:
https://www.motortrend.com/events/m...c_tw_social_MT_220103_sf252559662#sf252559662
Mercedes-Benz Vision EQXX Concept: Did You See This Coming, Elon?
The establishment strikes back, as the stunning EV shows what a legacy automaker is capable of.
Angus MacKenzieWriterMar 06, 2024
One sentence from that originally 2022 article contains reference to Akida hardware AND software. At the time, I took "software" to be a reference to speech models, but, in light of the more recent specualtion that MB could be using Akida 2/TeNNs simulation software, I see this as adding weight to that hypothesis.
M
ercedes engineers worked with California-based artificial-intelligence developer BrainChip to create systems based on the company's Akida hardware and software.
That led to the share price spike and LdN's "Nothing to see here!", so maybe there was an agreement to revert to stealth mode ...
If a company, all alone on the internet says "We are using Akida" and no one hears it ...
I stumbled across this as I was compiling a chronology of MBs AI involvement:
2020 NVIDIA Orin:
Mercedes-Benz, and NVIDIA, the global leader in accelerated computing, plan to enter into a cooperation to create a revolutionary in-vehicle computing system and AI computing infrastructure. Starting in 2024, this will be rolled out across the fleet of next-generation Mercedes-Benz vehicles...
group.mercedes-benz.com
June 23, 2020 – Mercedes-Benz, and NVIDIA, the global leader in accelerated computing, plan to enter into a cooperation to create a revolutionary in-vehicle computing system and AI computing infrastructure. Starting in 2024, this will be rolled out across the fleet of next-generation Mercedes-Benz vehicles, enabling them with upgradable automated driving functions.
...
A
utomated driving functions in future Mercedes-Benz cars will be powered by NVIDIA’s next generation DRIVE platform. The computer system-on-chip (SoC), called Orin, is based on the recently announced NVIDIA Ampere supercomputing architecture.
2022 Akida
Akida's association with MB appears 18 months after NVIDIA.
2023 ChatGPT
Mercedes-Benz is further expanding the use of artificial intelligence and integrating it into the voice control of its vehicles as the next step. By adding ChatGPT, voice control via the MBUX Voice Assistant's Hey Mercedes will become even more intuitive
group.mercedes-benz.com
June 16, 2023 – M
ercedes-Benz is further expanding the use of artificial intelligence and integrating it into the voice control of its vehicles as the next step. By adding ChatGPT, voice control via the MBUX Voice Assistant's Hey Mercedes will become even more intuitive. An optional beta programme will start June 16, 2023 in the U.S. for over 900.000 vehicles equipped with the MBUX infotainment system.¹
M
ercedes-Benz MBUX Voice Assistant has already set industry standards and is known for its intuitive operation and a large command portfolio. Driver and passengers can receive sports and weather updates, have questions answered about their surroundings or even control their smart homes.
ChatGPT complements the existing intuitive voice control via Hey Mercedes.
The words used in relation to ChatGPT suggest it is augmenting "Hey Mercedes!", not replacing it.