Self-Driving Cars Get Human-Like 'Brain' With New Nvidia AI

Imagine a self-driving car that doesn't just navigate, but can actually explain its decisions, much like a human driver. That future is now closer than ever, thanks to tech giant Nvidia, which recently unveiled groundbreaking "reasoning" artificial intelligence for autonomous vehicles. At the annual CES technology conference in Las Vegas, Nvidia's CEO, Jensen Huang, introduced "Alpamayo," a new platform designed to help driverless cars think and react more like people. This isn't just about following lines on the road; Alpamayo aims to equip vehicles with the ability to navigate tricky, unexpected situations, drive safely in complex environments, and crucially, articulate why it's making a particular move. This innovative AI is already being put to the test. Nvidia has partnered with German carmaker Mercedes-Benz to produce a driverless version of its CLA model. This autonomous vehicle is set to hit US roads in the coming months, with a rollout planned for Europe and Asia shortly after – meaning UK drivers could soon see these smarter cars on our own motorways. Huang demonstrated the technology with a video showing an AI-powered Mercedes-Benz effortlessly driving through San Francisco, its human passenger relaxed with hands off the wheel. He highlighted that the AI learns directly from human driving examples, ensuring a natural feel, while also providing a clear explanation for every action it takes. This transparency could be key to building public trust in autonomous technology. Nvidia isn't stopping there. The company has made Alpamayo an open-source model, freely available to autonomous vehicle researchers on the machine learning platform Hugging Face. This move is expected to accelerate development across the industry. Looking further ahead, Nvidia envisions a future where every car and truck is autonomous and plans to launch a robotaxi service as early as next year, though details on partners and locations remain under wraps. Analysts view this announcement as a significant step, cementing Nvidia's position at the forefront of AI integration in both hardware and software. It signals a shift for the company, moving beyond just providing computing power to becoming a comprehensive platform provider for physical AI ecosystems. Adding to its impressive portfolio, Nvidia also confirmed that its next generation of AI chips, codenamed Rubin, are now in production. These highly anticipated chips, due for release later this year, promise to be more energy-efficient than current models, potentially driving down the cost of developing advanced AI technologies. With a market valuation exceeding $4.5 trillion, Nvidia continues to lead the charge in shaping our AI-driven future. --- Managing your business finances? TaxAce provides smart online accountancy services for UK businesses with flexible monthly plans. Image and reporting: https://www.bbc.co.uk | Read original article