Establishing emotional connections through AI

Even a rusty old bucket of bolts can take you from point A to B just as quickly as a brand new luxury sedan. Given this logic, why do human beings spend so much time and energy loving their cars when there is no rational reason to do so? Believe it or not, this example illustrates the promise of artificial intelligence (AI) as well as the burgeoning growth of the Internet of Things.

As high-tech as this all sounds, AI is now seeking to replicate something that people have known for thousands of years - emotional connections. Natural analogues to AI aren't new, and the trusty horse is a good example. The longer you ride it, the more familiar the horse becomes with your movements in the saddle, your temperament, and your likelihood to give certain commands in certain situations. Automakers are using time-tested and well-understood concepts like this to build cars that do much of the same thing. Beyond the technology and the tachometer, companies are actually designing cars that can love you back. Toyota has recently unveiled a fascinating concept vehicle - the FV2 - that focuses on becoming more emotionally and physically connected to the driver the longer she uses it.

The real kicker is how the information superhighway is merging into the physical highways with the Internet of Things. Telematics and connected cars already provide roadside assistance, streaming entertainment and baby-steps toward home connectivity. Insurance integration, app storefronts, and real-time diagnostics are on the near horizon. The use cases are easy to imagine, and the love affair with the auto (and let's not forget the connected motorcycle!) will become even more torrid once the aphrodisiac of technology is added to the equation. As an example, vehicles will avoid metropolitan areas at rush hour, filled with debilitating traffic jams, and reroute in real time to less congested, more scenic pathways to the destination. Connecting to the information infrastructure, of course, can also improve safety by giving drivers advanced warnings about vehicles in blind spots and bottlenecks, and provide a reassuring virtual airbag of protective information.

That's really the essence of the next generation of mobile computing devices, isn't it? Design, intelligence, and connectivity: design that makes you feel good, intelligence that anticipates and accentuates the experience, and connectivity that networks the device - and you - into the world around. An automobile can get smarter by talking and listening and using its connection to a network as a drive-able computing platform. According to Toyota, the FV2 will go beyond that, to include emotional communications like expressions, gestures, and recollection of past events.

Can you imagine a car that knows where you're going ... even before you do? One of the features of the Toyota FV2 concept car is that the driver use natural movements to steer: lean left to turn left and tilt forward to accelerate. These natural body commands are also what made the Segway so interesting. No steering wheel is necessary if the machine can sense your movements. Toyota, as part of its concept car research, says that it envisions AI to grow alongside human intelligence so that it can display feelings and evoke fondness and trust.

The author is Jeff Kavanaugh, VP and Managing Partner, High-Tech & Manufacturing, Infosys. Re-printed with permission. Link: http://www.infosys blogs.com /infytalk/2014/04/ auto_pilot_emotional_connections_through_ai.html