BMW’s next voice assistant to be powered by Amazon’s Alexa

BMW began integrating intelligent voice features into its infotainment systems using Amazon’s Alexa four years ago. Since then, the number of models sporting the digital assistant have only increased. At Amazon’s 2022 Devices & Services Event on Wednesday, the two companies took the next step, and announced BMW’s next-generation of infotainment systems will feature an Alexa-based assistant specifically developed with the driver in mind.

The as-of-yet unnamed BMW assistant will be constructed from an Alexa Custom Assistant, “a comprehensive solution that makes it easy for BMW and other brands and device makers to create their own custom intelligent assistant tailored to their brand personality and customer needs.” Those capabilities might include a proactive notification from the vehicle’s assistant alerting the driver that the battery charge is low while automatically reserving a charging slot at the next off-ramp, or preemptively scheduling regular service with the local dealership, and “will enable an even more natural dialogue between driver and vehicle,” per a Wednesday BMW press release.