Tesla's Grok AI to Support Sending and Receiving Text Messages in Vehicles

Tesla is enhancing its in-car Grok AI to enable sending and receiving text messages directly from the vehicle. This functionality was identified in an updated owner's manual for the Model Y, signaling its impending release.

The new feature will allow drivers to instruct Grok to send SMS messages to contacts or phone numbers using natural language. According to the manual, a driver could say, for instance, "Message Mom that I'm on my way." This addition broadens Grok's existing abilities, which currently encompass navigation control, initiating phone calls, and media management.

Grok, initially integrated into Tesla vehicles to advance voice control, has evolved from a basic command-interpreter to a more comprehensive conversational assistant. Tesla aims to minimize the need for drivers to remove their hands from the steering wheel or their eyes from the road by facilitating more tasks via voice commands.

The integration of text messaging is part of a broader strategy to deepen AI's role within vehicle systems. Elon Musk has previously confirmed that future updates will see Grok controlling Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) capabilities. The ability to send and receive SMS messages represents a step towards an in-car assistant functioning akin to a personal secretary.

Tesla has not yet provided an official release timeline for Grok's text messaging feature. However, the company recently rolled out other new functionalities, such as FSD's automatic collision avoidance.