Masayoshi Son, the visionary leader of SoftBank, is setting his sights on a new frontier: self-driving cars. Known for his bold investments and transformative ideas, Son is now working on a unique approach to accelerate the development of autonomous vehicles.
Son is reaching out to automotive leaders across the globe, encouraging collaboration rather than competition. His plan involves pooling resources and using artificial intelligence to overcome the challenges that have stalled many self-driving car projects.
Recent Developments in Self-Driving Cars
| Company | Action Taken | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Apple | Abandoned self-driving car efforts | Project halted |
| Cruise (GM) | Removed driverless cars, resumed testing | Limited testing ongoing |
| Ford (Argo AI) | Shut down autonomous-driving venture | Project terminated |
| Tesla | Promised to unveil a “robotaxi” | Ahead in development |
| China | Testing more driverless cars publicly | Leading in autonomous vehicle testing |
In recent months, Son has hosted meetings with executives from Honda, Nissan, and Uber in a traditional tatami-mat-floored room in Tokyo. His goal is to create a coalition of auto companies from the US, Japan, and Europe, pooling vehicle-driving data crucial to autonomous-driving systems.
Most current driverless car projects rely on high-definition maps that can become outdated. Son proposes a model where cars navigate using a powerful AI system trained with massive amounts of data, allowing vehicles to operate more flexibly.
SoftBank’s various investments in AI and related industries, such as a majority stake in semiconductor design firm Arm, could benefit from this autonomous vehicle coalition. The coalition aims to address the high costs, development difficulties, and regulatory scrutiny that have caused some companies to scale back their self-driving efforts.
The self-driving vehicle industry is at a critical juncture. Major players like Apple and Ford have recently abandoned or scaled back their efforts, while Tesla and Chinese automakers are making significant strides. Analysts believe the resurgence of AI could rejuvenate self-driving car development.
Son has a history of making significant bets, such as investing in Alibaba, which yielded substantial returns. However, not all bets have paid off, as seen with WeWork. SoftBank’s recent financial successes and substantial cash reserves position Son to make another major investment in AI and autonomous vehicles.
Son’s commitment to AI and autonomous driving is driven by a broader vision of transforming society. He believes in the potential of “artificial super intelligence” (ASI), which he defines as AI 10,000 times smarter than human intelligence. Son sees ASI as a way to not only revolutionize driving but also to save lives and reduce accidents.
While there are concerns about the time and money required to develop AI-powered autonomous vehicles, Son’s vision is compelling to industry leaders who recognize the need to stay ahead of competitors like Tesla and Chinese automakers.
Masayoshi Son’s ambitious plans for autonomous vehicles are just one part of his larger strategy to leverage AI for societal transformation. Whether his vision will materialize remains to be seen, but his efforts are already influencing the direction of the industry.
Featured Image courtesy of TechCrunch
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