Ford is investing $ 1 billion in the company of AI, to build a brain for its self-driving car

Ford's march against 2021 is going to be a difficult and expensive one. In order to bring its level 4 autonomous fleet group travel market, the automaker announced today an investment of $ 1 billion in Argo II of, artificial intelligence and robotics run. This step makes Ford the controlling shareholder of the company, which is currently tasked with building a robotic brain which will power Ford's fleet.

Argo AI is based in Pittsburgh and was founded in 2016 by former leaders of Google and Uber two companies are working hard on their own stand-alone programs of vehicles. Brian Salesky worked for many years, Google autonomous vehicle project, while Peter Rander was responsible for the independent management of the Uber efforts, while at the end of last year. Both were associated with Carnegie Mellon University National Robotics Engineering Center.

Ford will move employees currently working in the country on its virtual system drivers to Argo AI. The briefing investors and media today, Ford CEO Mark Fields said Argo AI is essentially an independent unit automaker. The deal would still allow Argo AI to license the virtual driver to other manufacturers. Argo AI, which turn partner with other units of Ford on an autonomous vehicle project. By the end of the year, Argo AI expects to have 200 total employees.

While most every major automaker is working on some form of self-driving cars, the Ford was much more open and forthcoming with details, than many of its competitors. The company makes no secret of its shift in emphasis from strictly design and construction of conventional cars.