Toyota investing $1 billion on self-driving car research

Toyota Motor Corp stated on Friday it will launch research and development company with a specialization on artificial intelligence in Silicon Valley, as part of race to create self-driving cars boost.

The world’s top-selling firm has thought to invest $1 billion in R&D for future five years in a departure from its careful stand on automated drive.

Technology firms including Google and Apple are also increasing their presence into the auto industry and hiring car specialists to bring self-drive cars. They plan to do this all under five years.

Although Gill Pratt, who is a former MIT professor appointed CEO of Toyota Research Institute, states that the race to create self-driving autos had only just started, with lots of safety hurdles to clear.

“It is plausible, at the start of a auto race, that you may not be in the top position… But if the race is really long, who knows who will be victorious?”