WeChat to launch entirely voice-enabled services for drivers this year

At a company conference yesterday, Tencent Auto Intelligence (TAI)’s vice president Zhong Xuedan announced that it will launch voice-enabled WeChat services in its connected vehicle ecosystem this year, ifanr reported (in Chinese).

The planned features include only chat, calls, and GPS navigation for now. All aspects will be voice command-enabled, purportedly to reduce driver distraction and risk of accidents.

Using the TAI system, drivers will be able to hear WeChat messages read out loud to them and dictate responses, initiate conversations, and find contacts without taking their hands off the wheel. When receiving calls, drivers will also be able to accept or reject calls with voice commands. In addition, after receiving a GPS location pin from a WeChat friend, drivers will be able to easily launch directions to the place.

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