You know how stressful and irritating driving can be if you’ve ever been trapped in bumper-to-bumper traffic or spent hours on the motorway. Ford understands this as well, and is doubling down on developing automated driving technologies to help make traffic a bit less painful.
Ford recently announced the formation of Latitude AI, a fully owned business aimed at making driving less stressful, particularly in “bumper-to-bumper traffic or on lengthy stretches of highway.” The idea is to create a more sophisticated version of Ford BlueCruise, which now offers hands-free driving assistance but needs drivers to maintain their eyes on the road.
Ford envisions Latitude AI as a system that would provide drivers with a “eyes-off-the-road” experience that will allow them to “reclaim portion of their day.” This implies that drivers may sit back, relax, and enjoy the journey while the automobile does the driving. While this may appear to be something out of a science fiction film, advances in AI and automation technologies are making it a reality.
This isn’t the first time Ford has separated a portion of its business to focus on automation. It established Ford Autonomous Vehicles LLC in 2018 to focus on developing self-driving car technologies. Subsequently, that organisation was absorbed into Ford Next, an entity founded in 2021 to assist Ford in managing startups, new mobility services, and the company’s share in Argo AI. This new firm appears to be a method to carry on Argo AI’s work after its shutdown last year: Ford claims that 550 of Latitude AI’s new employees are former Argo AI staff.
Ford previously stated that it will invest $29 billion in electrified and self-driving vehicles by 2025. Notwithstanding the shutdown of Argo AI in 2022, the launch of Latitude AI demonstrates that the corporation is still committed to this investment. We think automated driving technology will assist enhance safety while unlocking all-new customer experiences that decrease stress and, in the future, will help free up a driver’s time to focus on what they select,” said Latitude AI CEO Sammy Omari in a statement.
As thrilling as this is for drivers who dread rush hour, it’s crucial to remember that completely autonomous driving technology is still in its early stages. There are still legal and regulatory challenges to overcome, and completely autonomous vehicles may not be a reality on our roads for some years. Yet, the development of Latitude AI demonstrates Ford’s dedication to making driving safer, more pleasant, and less stressful for all of us. Therefore, while we may still have to deal with traffic for a bit longer, it’s comforting to know that a better, more automated future is on the way.
