, Columnist
We're Not Feeling the Love for Robot Cars
Toyota et al will struggle to sustain brand loyalty as AI breaks the personal connection to driving.
This article is for subscribers only.
Toyota Motor Corp. envisions its new artificially intelligent cars will know you so well that you’ll love them, and they’ll love you back.
It’s a strange promise for an inanimate object built of steel, sensors and motors. But when Executive Vice President Didier Leroy introduced the futuristic vehicles at the Tokyo Motor Show this week, his vision called attention to the desperation traditional carmakers are feeling at a time when just about anyone, including vacuum-maker Dyson Ltd., is jumping into the business.