2019 Mercedes A-Class In Hong Kong – Video
How will Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning shape the future of the automobile industry and help the company to meet customer wishes? This was the subject of a discussion with Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars at the RISE conference, Asia’s most important tech-conference, on 10 July 2018 in Hong Kong.
Artificial intelligence is key future topic for Daimler in all areas of the company. Indeed the inventor of the Automobile already places its confidence in artificial intelligence, for example in the new A-Class: Its multimedia system Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) has a unique learning capability and intuitive operation.
In a live session entitled “From AI to Green Tea. East-West lessons for the inventor of the car”, Dieter Zetsche also discussed autonomous driving as part of the mobility of the future in the presence of around 700 international journalists, influencer and conference participants.
Excerpt from the session with Dieter Zetsche at RISE conference
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“We have listened, tried to understand and put in the demands of the customers. A very important example are cars with an extended wheelbase as Chinese customers obviously like to take their families and friends with them. When we came up with added models, we have surprised and exceeded the expectations of our customers.”
“Again good news: we are the first company to receive a license to road test autonomous cars in Beijing. Not one of the easiest challenges, but that’s a good test. We are happy because China is the biggest market for us. And when we go for autonomous driving, we have to make sure that it works in China. Therefore this testing is extremely precious for us.”
“Of course we are already testing autonomous cars at our own facilities. We most recently became from a city in California the possibility to participate in a real life test which is a very big and important step for us.”
During a tour at the RISE conference, Dieter Zetsche also had a meeting with the Silicon Valley icon Guy Kawasaki. “Here at RISE, I meet the most important players in the Asian tech scene and inspiring people from all over the world. There is hardly a more suitable platform for the dialogue between East and West on the most central digital topics of the future”, said the Mercedes-Benz brand ambassador in Hong Kong.