Self-driving technology developer Wayve and the WMG at the University of Warwick have been selected to develop methodologies to ensure the safe deployment of AI in self-driving vehicles on UK roads.
This new project, DriveSafeAI, brings together Wayve’s expertise in developing end-to-end machine learning for self-driving with WMG’s world-leading expertise in verifying and validating the safety of self-driving technologies. The project will develop a set of safety methods, tools and data sets for self-driving vehicles and create the evidence to underpin future AI regulation and policy. Feedback on the approach will be provided by an independent advisory committee.
Wayve is reimagining self-driving vehicle technology, using data and AI to create an embodied artificial intelligence with the capability to drive any electric vehicle in any city. The company’s unique approach, called AV2.0, can seamlessly integrate with existing fleets and infrastructure and adapt to new environments.
Demonstrating the safety of AI is a crucial step toward realizing the benefits of self-driving vehicles. To deploy on a widespread and commercial scale and gain access to a market projected to be worth £42bn (US$52.7bn) by 2035, the trust of the public and policymakers in AI-powered self-driving technology is essential.
DriveSafeAI is part of CCAV’s Commercialising CAM Supply Chain Competition (CCAMSC), which is funded by the UK’s Centre for Connected and Automated Vehicles, a joint unit between the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) and the Department for Transport (DfT), and delivered in partnership with Innovate UK and Zenzic.
The £18.5m (US$23.2m) CCAMSC competition was launched in October 2022 to support the deployment of self-driving vehicles by strengthening the capabilities of the sovereign UK CAM supply chain; it is part of the government’s vision for self-driving vehicles.
“At Wayve, we know that confidence in our technology is crucial to commercialization and widespread adoption of self-driving vehicles,” said Alex Kendall, CEO and co-founder of Wayve. “Leveraging AI, we have the chance to bring the benefits of self-driving vehicles to everyone’s door. But first, securing trust in AI is paramount. That’s why we’ve been working closely with government and academia to ensure the methodologies we use to evidence safety are clear and trustworthy. Today, we’re excited to announce a formal partnership with WMG, University of Warwick, global leaders in the safety of artificial intelligence and autonomous systems. DriveSafeAI will give the public and policymakers confidence in this technology, which has the potential to revolutionize transport.”
“AI and particularly embodied AIs like self-driving vehicles is one of the biggest disruptors for society,” added Prof. Siddartha Khastgir, head of verification and validation at WMG, University of Warwick. “Deploying this technology safely is essential to realizing the huge opportunity they offer society. At WMG, through DriveSafeAI we are excited to be partnering with Wayve, a leader in self-driving vehicle technology, to help shape the safe AI landscape in the UK and globally. We truly believe the safety of this technology needs to be proven collaboratively and that future policy should have strong research foundations.”
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