BMW is the latest automaker to introduce its own in-car voice assistant

Next year, owners of certain late-model BMWs will be able to turn on their HVAC system, adjust the lighting, or change the radio all without lifting a finger. Today, the German automaker announced the launch of a proprietary digital voice assistant, which will be available for models featuring BMW's latest 7.0 operating system, starting in March 2019.

BMW joins Mercedes-Benz in breaking free from the trend of automakers partnering with Amazon Alexa, Microsoft Cortana, or Google Assistant, and instead introducing their own unique spins. It's a bold move since automakers have struggled to keep up with Silicon Valley and consumer expectations, but BMW is betting that its voice assistant can out-perform some of the big players in AI.

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