cars

‘Hey Mercedes’ — Mercedes-Benz trials ChatGPT-powered voice control

June 16, 2023 Coin Telegraph

More than 900,000 Mercedes vehicles in the United States will have access to the new ChatGPT-enabled beta feature, which will be trialed for about three months.

Luxury car manufacturer Mercedes-Benz is integrating artificial intelligence into more than 900,000 vehicles as part of a new trial of a ChatGPT-powered voice assistant system.

The company announced on June 16 that the optional beta feature is now accessible to the owner of any vehicle equipped with the Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) interface, which currently accounts for more than 900,000 Mercedes-Benz cars in the United States.

Mercedes drivers can sign up for the new AI-powered voice assistant by saying “Hey Mercedes, I want to join the beta program,” while sitting in their car. Alternatively, users can join by signing up through the car manufacturers’ "me” application.

(1/2) #MercedesBenz is adding ChatGPT to the #MBUX Voice Assistant “Hey Mercedes” as part of a beta program in the United States. This way, voice control in MBUX enabled vehicles will become even more intuitive.

More: https://t.co/DF7KWOabFm pic.twitter.com/DHzmexIZym
— Mercedes-Benz Press (@MB_Press) June 15, 2023

The German-based manufacturer explained that ChatGPT would “complement” its existing voice control feature by expanding upon its existing capabilities:

“While most voice assistants are limited to predefined tasks and responses, ChatGPT leverages a large language model to greatly improve natural language understanding and expand the topics to which it can respond.”

The ChatGPT integration will allow users to ask the Voice Assistant questions that are either related or unrelated to the driving experience, something the chatbot can reportedly provide “comprehensive answers” to.

Any voice command data that’s collected by the voice assistant will be stored in the Mercedes-Benz Intelligent Cloud system where it will be anonymized and analyzed, the firm said.

The future is now – with the INTELLIGENT PARK PILOT some variants of the #EQS are prepared for driverless, highly automated parking (SAE level 4). The only question that remains is, are you? #MercedesBenz #EaseofParking pic.twitter.com/s8HnKW3zwC
— Mercedes-Benz (@MercedesBenz) June 15, 2023

The beta programme is expected to last three months. Following that period, Mercedez said it will then reassess whether it plans to develop the ChatGPT-enabled voice control feature any further.

*U.S. customers can access the new ChatGPT feature through Mecerdes-Benz's app. Source: Mecerdes-Benz*

While this marks the car company’s latest step into AI, Mercedes-Benz has been involved in blockchain-related projects for a number of years.

In January 2022, the car company partnered with several nonfungible token (NFT) artists to celebrate its G-Class series model. The manufacturer also began using Ocean Protocol’s blockchain to collect various user data in July 2020.

In March 2018, the firm also launched its own cryptocurrency to reward eco-friendly driving.

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Founder of $7.5M ‘brazen fraud scheme’ gets 8 years behind bars

February 1, 2023 Coin Telegraph

Founder of .5M ‘brazen fraud scheme’ gets 8 years behind bars

Antiques

Randall Crater was ordered to pay back the millions lost by victims of his fraudulent crypto scheme and spend 100 months in jail followed by a three-year supervised release.

Founder of “My Big Coin” Randall Crater has been sentenced to 100 months in prison and ordered to pay over $7.6 million to the victims of his fraudulent scheme.

The U.S. Department of Justice said on Jan. 31 that Crater was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Denise Casper in Massachusetts.

The sentence comes after Crater was convicted by a federal jury on July 21 on four counts of wire fraud, three counts of unlawful monetary transactions and one count of operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business.

Randall Crater, the founder of "My Big Coin," a purported cryptocurrency company, was sentenced today to more than eight years in federal prison for a multi-million dollar fraud scheme uncovered by #FBI Boston and @USPIS_BOS. https://t.co/567NYPndRU pic.twitter.com/a3eKaogij4
— FBI Boston (@FBIBoston) January 31, 2023

My Big Coin was founded by Crater in 2013 and falsely marketed as a cryptocurrency payment service, luring victims between 2014 and 2017.

Crater claimed the coins on My Big Coin were fully functional cryptocurrencies backed by gold and that the platform had a partnership with Mastercard.

Crater also marketed the “My Big Coin Exchange,” advertised as a crypto exchange where the coins could be swapped for U.S. dollars and other fiat currencies.

*Randall Crater’s LinkedIn account photo. Image: LinkedIn*

A significant portion of the $7.6 million obtained by Crater and his marketing team went toward a house, several cars and over $1 million in antiques, artwork and jewelry.

U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins said in a statement the damage done by Crater inflicted a serious amount of trauma and financial hardship on his victims:

“For nearly four years, Mr. Crater perpetrated a brazen fraud scheme that preyed on investors and customers who put their faith in him and his fake business, resulting in victim losses of over $7.5 million.”

“His lies and deception inflicted real trauma, pain and hardship on the lives of 55 individual victims and their families who funneled their money into bank accounts Mr. Crater controlled and used to finance his extravagant lifestyle,” she added.

Even after his conviction, Crater continued to protest his innocence, stating in an Oct. 21 YouTube video that a My Big Coin credit card did in fact exist and claiming that an investor testified under oath to having used the card multiple times.

Legal action against Crater dates back to Sept. 25, 2018, when now-former Judge Rya Zobel of the Massachusetts District Court ruled against a motion to dismiss a case launched by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).

The Department of Justice officially filed criminal charges against Crater on Feb. 19, 2019.

After Crater’s 100-month tenure behind bars, he will be subject to a supervised release for the following three years.

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New Alfa Romeo SUV uses NFT and blockchain to track car records

February 9, 2022 Coin Telegraph

Alfa

Alfa Romeo's Tonale NFT certifies a car upon purchase and then records and keeps data during the vehicle's lifespan.

Italian carmaker Alfa Romeo has unveiled its latest vehicle, the Tonale SUV. The firm claims that it is the first in the industry to connect each vehicle to its own blockchain-based token, which can keep track of the car's whole life cycle.

One of the most distinctive features of this SUV is that each car is linked to an accompanying NFT. The Tonale NFT, according to Alfa Romeo, certifies a car upon purchase and then simply records and keeps data during the vehicle's lifespan. Francesco Calcara, Alfa’s head of global marketing and communication, said:

"Upon customer's consent, the NFT will record vehicle data, generating a certificate that can be used as a guarantee of the car's overall status, with a positive impact on its residual value."

Automobile companies are increasingly investing in the NFT market, which is forecasted to reach $240 billion by the end of the decade — minting unique collectible digital tokens that are sometimes included with vehicle purchases.

Blockchain is now being linked to everything from real estate deals to sports fan engagement tokens. Nonfungible tokens (NFTs) have recently generated headlines as businesses race to get on board with this new technology.

Other luxury car makers such as Lamborghini, Rolls-Royce and Mercedes-Benz have experimented with NFTs. Lamborghini, for example, launched its first NFT project, "Space-Time Memory," a set of five pictures showing a Lamborghini Ultimae going into space.

Lamborghini goes to space with nonfungible tokens.

The Italian carmaker announced its first NFT project called "Space Time Memory:" a series of five photographs of a Lamborghini Ultimae going into space.https://t.co/xodoFr71UQ
— Cointelegraph (@Cointelegraph) February 1, 2022

Mercedes recently teamed up with Art2People to develop a limited-edition Mercedes-Benz NFT collection inspired by its G-Class vehicle lineup.

Mercedes partners with NFT artists to celebrate G-Class series

January 18, 2022 Coin Telegraph

cars

Mercedes-Benz has picked five artists from the NFT industry to interpret the G-Class in their own style.

Mercedes has teamed up with Art2People to create an exclusive Mercedes-Benz NFT collection based on its G-Class vehicle line, according to a tweet by the luxury automobile manufacturer.

Five nonfungible token (NFT) artists were commissioned to create various G-Class-inspired works in a range of media, resulting in unique designs for each artwork.

What happens when five #NFT artists take on the challenge of reinterpreting the iconic #GClass?

The NF-G Challenge by @art2people_xyz @antonitudisco @baugasm @klarens_malluta @StudioCTaylor X @StudioZyva @kilimanjaroger @macomoroni @niftygateway

➡️ https://t.co/HrD56AIPGi pic.twitter.com/mV0f8ig6KT
— Mercedes-Benz (@MercedesBenz) January 17, 2022

The artists involved come from diverse areas, such as music, fashion, graphic design, architecture, creative marketing, luxury design and real estate. The artists include Charlotte Taylor, Anthony Authie, Roger Kilimanjaro, Baugasm and Germany-based Antoni Tudisco. Nifty Gateway and Mercedes will launch the NFTs on Sunday.

Mercedes is not the first major brand to be involved with NFTs. In June 2021, McLaren unveiled its intention to utilize NFTs to create virtual versions of its legendary F1 automobiles. In July 2021, Coca-Cola launched a unique NFT initiative to raise money for Special Olympics International.

This isn't the first time Mercedes-Benz has been involved with blockchain technology. The car manufacturer teamed up with blockchain startup Circulor to launch a trial to ensure that cobalt emissions are tracked throughout the supply chain.

Economist Mohamed El-Erian Says Fed’s Characterization of Inflation as ‘Transitory’ the ‘Worst Call in History’

December 13, 2021 Bitcoin.com

Inflation Plagues American Economy: US Consumer Prices See Fastest Rise in Close to 40 Years

December 11, 2021 Bitcoin.com

World’s Largest Collector Car Auction House RM Sotheby’s to Accept Cryptocurrencies

November 18, 2021 Bitcoin.com

Colin McRae’s long-lost rally car reportedly sold for Bitcoin at auction

October 4, 2021 Coin Telegraph

Adoption

Three months after embracing crypto, Lloyds Auctions house reportedly sold a legendary rally car for $360,000 in Bitcoin.

Bitcoin (BTC) adoption is growing in the auction world, where privacy is a key concern. An anonymous buyer purchased a legendary rally car driven by iconic rally figures Colin McRae and Carlos Sainz, which was thought to be long-lost in an auction for half a million Australian dollars ($360,000) and reportedly used Bitcoin as a payment method.

Australian auction house Lloyds Auctions announced that the 1994 Subaru Prodrive 555 Group A World Rally Championship Car had been found in a barn, covered in dust, in the Victoria state of Australia.

The car was originally thought to be valued at 15,000–20,000 Australian dollars ($10,900–$14,500). But a six-month investigation from the International Classic Automobile Authentication and Rating System (ICAARS) revealed that “it may well be worth more than $1 million [$725,000].”

Lloyds said that the rally car, one of only 63 commissioned by Prodrive, had been sitting in the barn for 10 years, and the owner was unaware of the vehicle’s actual value. It only had three owners since its racing days, and its condition was untouched.

Touted as a “golden treasure” by an ICAARS inspector, the car went under the hammer on Sept. 26 and was auctioned for half a million Australian dollars. The winner was said to have paid the bid in Bitcoin.

Lloyds announced in June that the Aussie auction house would start accepting crypto payments, enabling bidders to buy items auctioned on the platform with Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.

“As a longtime patron of Lloyds I had no hesitation and couldn’t believe how simple it was for me to pay with cryptocurrency,” a bidder then said, adding that the seller receives the payment in cash and “never know the difference.”

Beyond cryptocurrencies, nonfungible tokens (NFT) are also taking over the auction world by storm. Art galleries are adopting the new form of digital art as auctionable items. Sotheby’s auctioned Yuga Labs’ 101 Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT collection in September with a winning bid of $24.39 million.

24 Hours of Le Mans Endurance Race Launches NFT Collection Crafted by the Automobilist

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