Ford pours $1bn into Argo AI to realise self-driving car dream
Vehicle manufacturer Ford has poured $1bn into Argo AI to help it attain its goal of realizing self-driving cars by 2021.
The mammoth investment is geared toward kitting out Ford vehicles with self-driving car technology while Argo AI retains its independence as a separate entity, although Ford will be a majority stakeholder.
chief executive Bryan Salesky remarked: “Argo AI will develop and deploy the latest advancements in artificial intelligence, machine learning and computer vision to help build safe and efficient self-driving vehicles that enable these transformations and more. The challenges are significant, but we are a team that believes in tackling hard, meaningful problems to improve the world. Our ambitions can only be realized if we are willing to partner with others and keep an open mind about how to solve problems.”
Salesky is well versed in the requirements for self-driving cars having led Google's self-driving hardware division in 2011 as well as serving at Carnegie Mellon University National Robotics Engineering Center.
The investment will be spread over a five-year period encompassing Ford’s target date of 2021 to attain ‘full autonomy’ for its vehicles, a goal which has just become a great deal more attainable with this infusion of talent.