BMW's Use of Artificial Intelligence

AI Integration at BMW

The BMW Group, a multinational vehicle manufacturer with headquarters in Munich, Germany, has production facilities in several countries. In the first quarter of this year, BMW brand sales in the US reached 87,615 vehicles, a 3.7% increase from the previous year.

BMW has implemented AI throughout its organization, impacting sales, customer experience, procurement, and product development, including crash testing and autonomous driving. Future AI plans involve exploring humanoid robots for complex assembly and intelligent transport systems. This article will cover a manufacturing use case and one affecting BMW vehicles.

Intelligent Personal Assistant (IPA)

In 2019, BMW introduced the Intelligent Personal Assistant (IPA) in its vehicles, enabling users to use voice commands to operate cars and access features. BMW uses AI training data and real-world driving to simplify vehicle operation. Before IPA, drivers used touchscreens or physical buttons, which research shows can negatively affect driver safety.

The IPA provides customized driving preferences and reduces the need for repeated selections. Developers no longer need to hard-code user interaction flows because machine learning offers more adaptive experiences. BMW states its IPA system allows drivers to interact with their vehicles more intuitively. The personal assistant improves customer experience and reinforces brand differentiation. IPA uses cloud-based AI services and over-the-air updates to improve capabilities.

BMW claims that the IPA features are supported by AI-related capabilities. While specific financial data isn’t available, remote software upgrades via over-the-air updates reduce software-related dealership visits by about 45%. The real-time assistance from IPA also reduces calls to customer support. BMW’s Proactive Care service uses AI to analyze vehicle data, predict maintenance needs, and proactively contact customers through in-car notifications, reducing customer support calls.

The IPA can also increase customer satisfaction and loyalty. Recalls can be very costly for car manufacturers due to lost production time, part replacement, and reputational damage. In 2024, BMW recalled over 720,000 vehicles due to a water pump issue, with expenses expected to reach a “high three-digit million (euro) amount.”

Predictive Maintenance

A 2023 blog post highlights how BMW Group Plant Regensburg uses an analysis system in assembly to prevent stoppages through predictive maintenance. Data analysis minimizes potential disruptions. BMW developed machine learning models in-house and implemented them in the system. Heatmaps visualize the model’s findings, allowing targeted responses to fault patterns. BMW specialists can locate a specific vehicle at any point in production.

The ability to prevent stoppages leads to cost savings. The system has reportedly reduced assembly line disruptions by 500 minutes a year. At the Regensburg plant, a vehicle is produced approximately every 57 seconds, so minimizing downtime is crucial.