Multi-modal models with smart guardrailing at the edge enable more seamless and safer in-car interactions, unlocking powerful capabilities that go far beyond pure infotainment
SHANGHAI and BURLINGTON, Mass., April 23, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Just ahead of Auto Shanghai 2025, Cerence Inc. (NASDAQ: CRNC) (“Cerence AI”), a global leader pioneering conversational AI-powered user experiences, today announced a new partnership with MediaTek and expanded collaboration with NVIDIA to deliver the next generation of CaLLM™ Edge, its embedded small language model (SLM) purpose-built for automotive user experiences. With new multi-modal capabilities powered by NVIDIA AI Enterprise software, CaLLM Edge will now make in-car interactions smarter, more perceptive, more human, far safer and more secure than ever. This multi-modal edge SLM is seamlessly integrated into Cerence xUI™, the company’s hybrid cloud/embedded agentic AI platform, and will be showcased for the first time at Auto Shanghai 2025.
Today’s announcement stems from an ongoing collaboration between MediaTek and NVIDIA, with MediaTek’s automotive-grade Dimensity Auto Cockpit chipsets integrating NVIDIA’s GPU, AI, and graphics technologies. Now, the companies have teamed with Cerence AI on a multi-modal edge solution that delivers top performance and cost efficiency for automakers and unlocks powerful new features for drivers and passengers. Leveraging MediaTek’s automotive cockpit solution and optimized first on NVIDIA DRIVE AGX, CaLLM Edge’s advanced multi-modal capabilities are fine-tuned for in-vehicle deployment and high efficiency via a dual processing platform, delivering a new level of contextual awareness – both inside and outside the vehicle.
Auto Shanghai marks the first public demonstration of Cerence xUI running on NVIDIA DRIVE AGX, integrated into a production-ready automotive reference design that replicates a real car’s multi-seat environment, enabling seamless, personalized interaction for drivers and passengers alike. Key innovations include:
Increased intelligence inside the car – Imagine your car knows when you’re talking to it – and when you’re not. You could ask for recommendations for Italian restaurants, then ask your passenger: “What about the second one?” – and the assistant knows to wait to jump back into the conversation. Plus, the assistant can take direction from driver and passengers at the same time – for example, “Open my window,” followed by “Same for me.” Or, imagine your car can keep an eye on your pet while you run a short errand, or, while you’re driving, answer questions about how your toddler is doing in the back seat.Additional context from outside the car – Imagine an assistant that provides information about not only what is inside the vehicle, but also in the world outside. For example, it can explain or translate road signs, identify roadside buildings, and even offer details about something interesting spotted on a billboard. Cerence xUI can leverage car sensor data and both interior and exterior camera feeds in combination with the CaLLM Edge multi-modal SLM, enabling streaming input on the edge – all of which will be shown for the first time at Auto Shanghai.Smart guardrailing on the edge – Cerence AI has developed automotive guardrails optimized for NVIDIA DRIVE AGX, helping ensure Cerence-powered systems can safely and reliably handle the nuances of brand-specific in-car interaction, even in conditions with limited connectivity. As part of its comprehensive hybrid architecture, Cerence AI will be delivering this embedded guardrail with NVIDIA NeMo Guardrails, both to complement its cloud variant as well as help minimize distractions, prevent misuse, and ensure voice interactions stay context-aware and compliant with safety norms.
Beyond these new capabilities for drivers, CaLLM Edge also offers key benefits for automakers. The heavy lifting of the multi-modal processing happens at the edge, meaning less cloud bandwidth required and reduced costs for OEMs. In addition, enabling drivers to access information outside the car and delivering advanced, generative AI-powered features unlocks new subscription-based services and revenue streams for OEMs.
“As we continue to push the limits of our CaLLM family of cloud and embedded language models, we continue to improve our ability to meet the needs of a wide variety of automakers and their specific infotainment platforms,” said Nils Schanz, EVP, Product & Technology, Cerence AI. “By teaming with MediaTek and NVIDIA, we’ve supercharged CaLLM Edge with real-time perception and contextual awareness that redefines the in-vehicle experience.”
“The combination of Cerence’s CaLLM Edge with MediaTek Dimensity Auto platforms creates an incredible foundation for powerful multi-modal, generative AI-driven experiences in vehicles,” said Mike Chang, Corporate Vice President and General Manager of Automotive Business of MediaTek. “MediaTek Dimensity Auto supports both Cerence’s LLM and SLM on the edge, and our new C-X1 featuring dual AI engines is ideal for the task of reliably running multiple AI tasks simultaneously. This partnership is a key addition to our automotive ecosystem and will enable global automotive brands to accelerate their next-generation designs in confidence.”
“Cerence’s collaboration with MediaTek builds on the company’s work to deploy NVIDIA AI and accelerated compute to improve the overall in-vehicle experience,” said Rishi Dhall, Vice President of Automotive at NVIDIA. “The work now gives automakers greater control to customize voice experiences, and our work to integrate NVIDIA NeMo Guardrails at the edge has the power to set a new industry benchmark in the evolution of safe, scalable in-car AI.”
Cerence AI will demonstrate its offering with MediaTek and NVIDIA at Auto Shanghai, taking place April 23-May 2. Interested attendees can experience Cerence xUI in action in Hall 8.2, booth number 8BD002. The solution will also be shown at MediaTek’s booth, also in Hall 8.2, at booth number 8BE006.
To learn more about Cerence AI, visit www.cerence.ai, and follow the company on LinkedIn.
About Cerence Inc.
Cerence Inc. (NASDAQ: CRNC) is a global industry leader in creating intuitive, seamless, AI-powered experiences across automotive and transportation. Leveraging decades of innovation and expertise in voice, generative AI, and large language models, Cerence powers integrated experiences that create safer, more connected, and more enjoyable journeys for drivers and passengers alike. With more than 500 million cars shipped with Cerence technology, the company partners with leading automakers, transportation OEMs, and technology companies to advance the next generation of user experiences. Cerence is headquartered in Burlington, Massachusetts, with operations globally and a worldwide team dedicated to pushing the boundaries of AI innovation. For more information, visit www.cerence.ai.
Contact Information
Kate Hickman | Tel: 339-215-4583 | Email: [email protected]
