BMW has made its vehicle configurator available through OpenAI’s ChatGPT, allowing customers to specify and refine models via natural language dialogue rather than traditional menu navigation. The plugin, accessible on mobile and desktop, draws on the company’s full configurator database and marks BMW as the first automaker to offer AI-assisted vehicle advice directly within ChatGPT.

The plugin replaces step-by-step menu navigation with natural language conversation. Customers describe their requirements in terms of spaciousness, ground clearance, preferred powertrain or intended use, and the system returns matching models and configurations. Results can be compared, adjusted and refined throughout the dialogue.

Factors such as running costs, driving dynamics, colour and all-wheel drive can be incorporated at any point. Once satisfied, users can transfer their chosen specification directly to the BMW Configurator or browse stock vehicles with similar configurations.

All suggestions are drawn from BMW’s live configurator data. Where queries fall outside that scope, the plugin can supplement responses with current internet information, provided the relevant ChatGPT functions are enabled. The plugin is live now, accessible via the Plugins section within ChatGPT on web and mobile.

The move reflects a broader shift in consumer behaviour, as generative AI dialogue begins to displace search engines and automaker websites as the first point of vehicle research. For BMW, the ChatGPT channel adds a point of contact outside its own digital infrastructure, with the reach of a two-billion-user platform but an inherent dependency on third-party terms.

Source: BMW Group