Toyota and Google collaborate on next-generation voice assistant in the US

Toyota Motor North America will introduce Google Cloud’s artificial intelligence (AI)-based voice service on select Toyota and Lexus vehicles in the United States.

This Google is developed by Google’Voice on device‘the technology builds on technology found in the Google Assistant, but allows embedding voice services into a device without an internet connection.

This means that if you’re somewhere without internet and you ask the voice assistant to do something, it should theoretically work.

Vehicles in the US including 2023 Toyota Corolla, Tundra and Sequoiaand Lexus NX, RX and RZ with the company’s latest Linux-based infotainment systems used Google Cloud’s Speech-To-Text service, but so far the service requires an internet connection to function.

It’s unclear when any of this Google-developed Speech On-Device technology will come to Australian Toyota and Lexus models.

Toyota Motor Australia recently announced application and cloud based ‘connected services’ scopewill be deployed first with Corolla Cross SUV car.

The company will offer a range of services to customers free of charge for 12 months, after which time they will be offered three packages to choose from.

The most premium plan, called Toyota Connected Multimedia and priced at $12.50 per month after the first 12 months, features a connected voice assistant that can be activated by saying “Hey, Toyota,” in among many other secure and remote services.

Toyota isn’t the first to turn to a tech giant to support voice assistant technology.

BMW recently announced its first cars with new generation voice assistant based on Amazon Alexa will be released within the next two years.

For example, BMW’s voice assistant will “work” with Alexa and allow customers to control music, remotely manage their smart home, add items to the mall or check the weather.

Customers will obviously be able to choose to use the BMW and Alexa voice assistants individually, or have both assistants work together.

Jaguar also introduced Amazon Alexa with Electric I-Pace in Australia in early 2022, filtering it for all Jaguar and Land Rover models with the Pivi Pro infotainment system via an over-the-air (OTA) software update.

Ford allows owners to access the Amazon assistant through an app in its Sync 4 infotainment system, while Audi, BMW and Lexus make Alexa available in select parts of the world.

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