Copilot is coming to cars — and so are Teams calls
Image: Mercedes-Benz
What’s worse, being stuck in traffic or on another interminable Microsoft Teams call? ¿Por qué no los dos? Mercedes is teaming up with Microsoft to allow you to take Teams calls while on the go — and is talking about adding Microsoft Copilot to its suite of luxury cars, too.
Microsoft and Mercedes-Benz said Wednesday that the new Mercedes CLA will be able to tap into an in-vehicle camera and give drivers access to a Meetings for Teams application. Somehow, Mercedes is also including Microsoft Intune inside the car, so business workers will be able to access private business data, too.
Mercedes is making this part of what it calls MBUX, the Mercedes-Benz user experience. Microsoft and Mercedes plan to implement the new Intune and Teams enhancements as part of an MBUX 4.0 upgrade this summer.
The integration of Microsoft Teams, however, might be either the most useful or the most dystopian upgrade. Microsoft and Mercedes say that you can use the in-car camera for talking to partners or underlings, letting them see you as you cruise down the highway in comfort.
Fortunately, the technology is being rolled out with an eye toward safety. “To minimize distraction and maximize safety while driving, the meeting video stream turns off automatically as soon as the camera is activated,” the companies said. “As a result, the driver will never see any shared screens or slides — and the camera can be turned off at any time.”
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes is also integrating chat into its driver interface, so you’ll be able to dictate chats to contacts, and view your upcoming calendar through a “Next Meetings” function.
Microsoft and Mercedes are also working together to bring Copilot to vehicles, though the two aren’t saying when.
“Mercedes‑Benz and Microsoft are also working together to integrate Microsoft 365 Copilot into the latest vehicles,” both companies said. “This will be one of the world’s first application of its kind in a car and will help users prepare for upcoming meetings with the aid of advanced AI. Using voice prompts, drivers can summarize emails, retrieve or query client preferences and details, and manage daily tasks without distraction. Microsoft 365 Copilot has the potential to transform the vehicle into a third workspace, complementing the office and the home office.”
Microsoft has previously struggled to bring its services into the car, with Microsoft Sync powering the early versions of the Ford Sync entertainment and communications system. Since then Android Auto and Apple’s CarPlay have provided alternatives to Ford’s own entertainment systems.
The 2025 CLA starts at $45,550 and goes up to $54,350, according to Car and Driver. To enable the new MBUX features, you’ll need an Active Entertainment Package Plus subscription, which apparently varies by region and location.
Author: Mark Hachman, Senior Editor, PCWorld
Mark has written for PCWorld for the last decade, with 30 years of experience covering technology. He has authored over 3,500 articles for PCWorld alone, covering PC microprocessors, peripherals, and Microsoft Windows, among other topics. Mark has written for publications including PC Magazine, Byte, eWEEK, Popular Science and Electronic Buyers’ News, where he shared a Jesse H. Neal Award for breaking news. He recently handed over a collection of several dozen Thunderbolt docks and USB-C hubs because his office simply has no more room.
