BMW launches vehicle configurator as a dialogue-based plugin in OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

Note: This press release is a 1:1 copy of the original issued by BMW headquarters in Germany. No adaptions have been made to cater to the UK market.

Munich. BMW is expanding its digital customer communications by making its vehicle configurator available directly via OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Using the BMW plugin in ChatGPT, customers can now engage in a natural conversation to configure their dream car. The plugin combines the dialogue capabilities of generative AI with the BMW product and configuration knowledge base, and is available on both mobile devices and desktop computers.

Dialogues rather than menu navigation.
Generative artificial intelligence is changing the way people search for information online and make decisions. Dialogue-based systems are increasingly replacing traditional navigation via search engines or websites. Picking up on this trend, BMW is the first car manufacturer to offer digital vehicle advice directly via ChatGPT.

Generative AI meets BMW knowledge base.
The BMW plugin in ChatGPT is focused on AI dialogues. Instead of step‑by-step navigation through menus and submenus, users describe their requirements in natural language – for example, in terms of spaciousness, ground clearance, powertrain or intended use. They are then given suggestions of suitable models and configurations based on this information. This also makes it very easy to compare different configurations.

The recommendations can be adjusted, compared and refined at any time in the dialogue. Factors like running costs, driving dynamics, colour, model or all-wheel drive can be specifically taken into account during the consultation. For complex specification requirements in particular, dialogue-based interaction opens up new, easy and intuitive ways to refine individual vehicle configurations. The desired vehicle specification can then be opened in the BMW Configurator. Customers can also view stock vehicles that have a similar spec.

All recommendations are based on the latest BMW Configurator data. Should any questions arise that go beyond its database, ChatGPT can also access up-to-date information from the internet, to the extent the relevant functions are available and enabled.

Easy access via ChatGPT.
The BMW plugin is integrated directly into ChatGPT. On chatgpt.com, it can be accessed by going to the “Plugins” menu item and then searching for “BMW”. On mobile devices, access is much the same when logged in, via the “Plugins” option in the main menu.