Toyota Research Institute’s Vision for Seamless AI-Human Integration

theweeklydriver.com

Gill Pratt possesses a unique ability to simplify intricate concepts, making him an ideal spokesperson for Toyota Motor Co. as its chief scientist and CEO of the Toyota Research Institute (TRI).

With humor, Pratt addressed concerns surrounding ChatGPT, the controversial chatbot developed by OpenAI in late 2022, and its potential to write term papers for college students.

He observed society has become less naive and more skeptical of technology, particularly due to the initial hype around self-driving vehicles – a hype that TRI did not participate in.

Pratt recalled TRI’s first CES presentation seven or eight years ago, during which it emphasized the challenges of autonomous driving and the uncertainty surrounding the timeline for achieving SAE Level 4 automation.

As a small portion of Toyota’s roughly $10 billion annual R&D spending, TRI focuses on machine learning, robotics, energy and materials research. Its human-centered AI tackles issues like climate change, an aging population and human understanding, ultimately aiming to facilitate individual happiness and societal harmony.

The directors of TRI’s primary divisions believe in the jidoka principle – “automation with a human touch” – which has guided Toyota since its founding in 1926. Pratt emphasized that technology should enhance human work rather than replace it, maintaining the dignity of human labor.

Acknowledging the likelihood of failure in such projects, Pratt argued a failure rate of around one-third indicates they are pursuing appropriately challenging endeavors. Outgoing Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda tasked Pratt with a simple directive: “Surprise me.”

In the vehicle development community, artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly being recognized as essential for vehicle and systems development.

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