Artificial Intelligence in Practice

50Volvo: Using Machine Learning To Build The World's Safest Cars

Volvo Cars, based in Sweden, has a reputation for producing vehicles with a great record for safety. Recently, it announced that, from 2019, all new models will be either fully electric or hybrid – becoming the first major manufacturer to set a date for the total phase-out of internal combustion engines.

In 2010, Volvo Cars was acquired by Chinese conglomerate Geely Holding Group from the Ford Motor Company, which bought it from parent company AB Volvo in 1999. Like every other major car maker, it is betting heavily on autonomy – Volvo has said it plans to have level 4 autonomous cars on sale by 2021.

What Problems Is Artificial Intelligence Helping To Solve?

Volvo knows that understanding how its cars are used and the conditions they are driven in is key to keeping its reputation as a world leader in terms of safety. And safety is also a key driver in the move towards autonomous, self-driving vehicles.

Additionally, roads in the developed and developing worlds are becoming increasingly congested, and carbon emissions from petrol and diesel vehicles are major contributors to pollution and man-made climate change.

How Is Artificial Intelligence Used In Practice?

From 2015, Volvo conducted predictive, machine learning-driven analytics across petabyte-scale datasets gathered from its connected vehicles. It developed its Early Warning System, which analyzes over 1 million events every week to work out how they ...