Apple finally admits to developing autonomous systems

Apple never officially confirmed that they are developing autonomous systems for cars. The company has been very secretive about its “Project Titan”. Apple CEO Tim Cook would always give vague answers when asked about in interviews. However, Cook has now officially acknowledged the existence of such a project. It is not an autonomous car though!

“We’re focusing on autonomous systems,” said Cook. It does make more sense for Apple to take this route, given that they do not really have the experience required to develop cars from the ground up. If Apple develops systems for autonomous cars, then many Apple users may also benefit from that.

“It’s a core technology that we view as very important.” Cook said about autonomous tech. He followed by saying it’s “the mother of all AI projects,” and that it’s “probably one of the most difficult AI projects to work on.”’

While Cook seems to be stressing that Apple is working on the software and A.I. side of things, there’s still a possibility of still trying their hand at making cars. “Now we know Apple is all in, and, judging by its track record in other areas, it will be a force. Apple’s strategy to commercialize autonomous vehicles remains to be seen — will they partner and sell the technology or actually develop their own vehicles?” said Michelle Krebs, executive analyst for Autotrader.

Apple recently invested $1 billion in Didi Chuxing, a massive Chinese-based ride-hailing service. So maybe the California-based brand is looking to get more into autonomous ride-sharing, rather than manufacturing.

Apple’s CarPlay already worked its way into almost every car company’s infotainment system, so there’s really a wide array of possibilities for the brand.

Source: Bloomberg