Ford’s Global Presidents, Mark Fields and Jim Hackett, together with Knauss, recently announced that the company has formed an Interim AI Partnership with Intel Corporation. It calls for the creation of a new “Solution Center for AI Systems” that will provide leadership, support and insights to the autonomous vehicle industry, which has become the number one contributor to AI today. This partnership will continue to build on Ford’s unique leadership in the movement toward AI and autonomous driving to create the world’s best connected, connected, AI-ready automotive, mobility and industrial solutions, which will deliver better solutions for customers.
The new partnership is expected to launch this summer. It will focus on solving solutions of key strategic technologies including mobility and AI, bringing together key players including Ford, Intel, Autodesk, NVIDIA, Intel Capital, Verizon, Otterbox, Intel Labs, Google, Cloud and Oculus/Sierra. The center will be led by Intel and Ford with the majority of their AI expertise contributing to the partnership.
The AI Center will provide leadership, resources and critical insights to develop new innovative solutions, guide customers and advance industry standards across the smart mobility value chain. In the early days of autonomous driving, it is critical to know the supply chain and the connective tissue between the “everyday” component suppliers and the engine designers and designers to develop an efficient system that will serve all driving needs. The AI Center will be active and collaborative with its leader provide regular updates and announcements to help push forward the advancements needed for a global leading position in autonomous driving.
“The AI Center creates an immediate opportunity to partner with the many technology companies at work in the space, and accelerate many of Ford’s existing objectives in AI. This is the right approach to meet the near-term challenges of industry disruption and bring about AI-led transportation solutions that make mobility better for everyone,” said Fields, Ford’s Chairman and CEO.
Ford’s driving force in AI has been to take advantage of Ford’s heritage of innovation, connecting powerful technology solutions with high-volume vehicle platforms to bring life-saving, intuitive services to people everywhere. It is already one of the world’s largest creators of open APIs. Additionally, Ford is the first automaker to receive classification from the G8 Industrial Alliance on Artificial Intelligence.
Fields said the partnership demonstrates “our long-term commitment to advancing the state of the art in automotive AI, IoT, robotics and next-generation manufacturing technologies. We are very pleased to announce our Interim AI Partnership with Intel Corporation, adding to our long-standing relationship that will help accelerate the advances we have made, and drive new innovations, which position us well as we begin delivering true, intelligent mobility for all.”
Knauss added, “There is no doubt in my mind that autonomous vehicles will impact, not only our industry, but every day life. Working together with the global automotive technology leaders of Intel, we have a responsibility to create solutions that are safe, seamless and will ultimately change the way people drive and interact with each other. As we look to the future, advanced automation, data and AI will be the driving forces behind the transformation. By creating the world’s first Solution Center, we will continue to focus on automating the world’s transportation system by improving the safety, driving experience and experience of all of those around us.
This new collaboration will continue our strong working relationship with Intel to bring best-in-class AI capabilities to our vehicles – advancing our industry lead and ensuring that the connected driving experience is among the best available anywhere.”