Google Cloud has expanded its partnership with Mercedes-Benz to help the automaker improve customer experiences with artificial intelligence and generative AI technologies on its Vertex AI platform.Mercedes-Benz will integrate e-commerce capabilities into its online storefront with a gen AI-powered smart sales assistant and new search and recommendations capabilities. The company plans to expand its use of Google Cloud AI to enhance its call centre experience.The automaker also plans to leverage AI and gen AI tools, including Vertex AI and Google's Gemini models, to make its marketing campaigns more personalised and relevant to customers."With Google Cloud, Mercedes-Benz is building new ways to deliver the most intelligent vehicles to our customers and to create personalised, intuitive experiences," said Mercedes-Benz Chief Executive Officer Ola Källenius.With the process of buying a car increasingly involving online research and shopping, Google Cloud aims to help Mercedes-Benz improve its e-commerce approach using AI technologies and make its online storefronts an extension of the showroom floor.In 2024, Mercedes-Benz plans to use Gemini models to deploy a smart sales assistant on its websites. The virtual assistant will be able to converse in natural language, helping shoppers find a car model that fits their needs, schedule a test drive or even start a purchase, the company said.The automaker will embed search and recommendation capabilities directly into its websites through the Vertex AI Search offering. According to Mercedes-Benz, consumers will be able to use the virtual assistant or the search bar on its website to find relevant car models and products through queries like "newest EV models that seat five people" or "2024 red wagon.""Mercedes-Benz has a long history of using technology to create exceptional experiences for their customers," said Sundar Pichai, chief executive officer of Google and Alphabet. "We're excited to help them apply Google's advanced AI to engage with customers in new ways from improving customer service to optimising their website experience."Mercedes-Benz has also deployed Google Cloud's conversational AI technology, Dialogflow, into its call centre operations. Automated agents have been helping customers in more than 30 languages get information on their lease, navigate a payment or start an upgrade, the company said.The carmaker has been leveraging Vertex AI platform to derive value from its customer data, using AI to enhance its website experience with personalised content.The company is also utilising Google Cloud technologies as it builds new advanced driver assistance systems. Its development and testing platform for autonomous driving will deploy Google Cloud, helping make its vehicles intelligent and AI-driven by processing data and scaling AI workloads.