A recently-published patent application from Uber has revealed that the ride-sharing company is planning on using artificial intelligence to identify a passenger’s behavioral state, including being drunk, before being picked up. With this technology, Uber is hoping to better tailor its ride-sharing options for its ever-growing user base.
The patent, titled “Predicting user state using machine learning” describes a system that uses machine learning to study the usual behavior of Uber users. These behaviors include several factors, including location, the precision of users’ clicks on the app’s buttons, spelling accuracy when communicating with drivers, average walking speed, and how long it takes passengers to request for a ride. The usual time when users hail an Uber will also be included in the system.
According to Uber’s patent application:
“The user state model is trained to predict user state using past features in conjunction with previously-identified unusual user states. That is, the user state prediction module detects whether the user has input data in a way that is unusual for that particular user and/or in a way differing from normal user behavior that is similar to the differences for other users having unusual behavior.”
Thus, if an intoxicated user hails a ride while walking and typing clumsily, the ride-hailing company’s AI system would be able to make an assumption that the user is less than sober. Once the system detects that a user is likely drunk, it would “alter the parameters” of its service in order to match the passenger with drivers who have relevant experience and training. Based on the passenger’s state, Uber might also restrict a drunk user’s access to its shared ride services.
“the user may not be matched with any provider, or limited to providers with experience or training with users having an unusual state” reveals the patent application.
The patent is authored by members of Uber’s Trust & Safety Team, who are tasked with making the company’s service and products safer. Overall, the system stands to benefit both passengers and drivers, considering that intoxication has proven to be a problem for Uber so far. According to an investigation from CNN, at least 103 Uber drivers have been accused of abusing intoxicated passengers over the past four years. Uber drivers have also reported instances where they got assaulted by passengers who were drunk.
The use of AI systems is steadily gaining ground. In China alone, SenseTime, a company involved in mainstream smartphone applications such as AR filters, has been working with the Chinese government in developing AI solutions that are capable of matching footage from crime scenes to criminal database photos. After a funding round led by Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba earlier this year, SenseTime’s total valuation rose to over $4.5 billion, making it one of the most valuable AI startups in the industry.
In the United States, AI is starting to get embraced by the US military, with self-driving vehicles and AI-powered weapons being in development. Just recently, Google saw protests from staff over the company’s participation in the Pentagon’s artificial intelligence initiative, Project Maven. According to reports, Google’s AI technology has been used to improve military drones’ image-processing capabilities, which has been helping the military fight threats in several regions such as the Middle East. Google, for its part, stated that its work with the Pentagon has been “mundane,” and that the technology it provided was limited only to non-offensive uses.
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Xiaomi CEO congratulates Tesla on first FSD delivery: “We have to continue learning!”
Xiaomi has become one of Tesla’s strongest rivals in China.
Just days after unveiling the Xiaomi YU7, a vehicle that is considered as the Model Y’s strongest competitor yet, Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun gave a nod of respect to Tesla and its Full Self-Driving (FSD) program.
In a post on Weibo, Lei Jun highlighted the remarkable nature of Tesla’s first autonomous delivery. He also acknowledged that Xiaomi still has much to learn in the electric vehicle industry.
Xiaomi CEO’s Nod of Respect
Lei Jun’s comments about Tesla’s FSD delivery were shared as a response to Tesla VP Grace Tao’s post about the recent feat. The Tesla VP shared several key aspects of the delivery, from the fact that there was no driver in the Model Y to the vehicle reaching over 70 mph as it drove to its owner.
“For the first time in history, the vehicle was delivered to the owner by itself. There was no driver or remote control throughout the journey, and the maximum speed reached 115 kilometers per hour, and it arrived safely at the customer’s door. This is a brand new Model Y. Tesla always surpasses imagination with disruptive innovation. A new era, exciting!” Tao wrote in her post.
In his response, the Xiaomi CEO acknowledged Tesla’s incredible feat. “Tesla is indeed amazing, leading the industry trends in many areas, especially FSD. We still have to continue learning!” he wrote.
Xiaomi’s Recent Tesla Competitor
The Xiaomi CEO’s comments show that Tesla’s projects and leadership garner a lot of respect in the global electric vehicle sector. While Tesla and Elon Musk tend to be media punching bags in the United States and Europe, the company and its CEO seem to be taken very seriously in China. This was despite China being the world’s most competitive electric vehicle market.
Xiaomi itself has become one of Tesla’s strongest rivals in China, with its first car, the SU7, bringing the fight to the Tesla Model 3. Its most recent vehicle, the YU7, could very well be the Model Y’s most legitimate rival yet, as it is more affordable, bigger, and more feature-laden than Tesla’s best-selling crossover. The YU7 has garnered quite a lot of attention, with Xiaomi receiving 200,000 firm orders for the vehicle within the first three minutes of its launch.
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Tesla silences FSD critics by posting full video of Model Y delivering itself to customer
When Elon Musk posted that the first Tesla had delivered itself to its owner, critics were quick to question his statement.
It is no secret that Tesla still has ardent critics today, many of whom remain convinced that the company and its leadership are lying about Full Self-Driving (FSD) and its capabilities. It was then no surprise that when Elon Musk announced that the first Tesla had successfully delivered itself to its owner, critics were quick to question the CEO’s statement.
Videos of the all-electric crossover’s solo drive to its owner soon silenced Tesla critics and their claims.
Tesla Posts FSD Video Proof—Twice
While Musk’s post on X about a Tesla delivering itself to a consumer was a notable update, his claims were not accompanied by any video. This was taken by some Tesla critics as a hint that the CEO’s claims were false, and that the feat probably did not happen. Musk, for his part, noted that Tesla would soon be posting a video of the self-driving car’s drive to its owner.
The electric vehicle community did not have to wait very long. Tesla later posted a video of its first autonomous vehicle delivery ever on X, much to the shock of social media users. As could be seen in the video, a Tesla Model Y was able to travel about 30 minutes on its own, from the end of Giga Texas’ production line to the home of its owner, several miles away. Tesla even posted the vehicle’s full 30-minute drive on its official X account later on.
Critics Are Still Skeptical, But It’s Cope at this Point
Of course, Tesla skeptics remained unconvinced that the feat was legitimate, with some pointing out that the Model Y customer seems to have had an X account for years but never posted, at least until his car was delivered. Others also claimed that the whole setup seemed suspicious since the Model Y looked like it had manufacturer plates as it navigated Austin’s streets.
These concerns, however, do not seem like very strong arguments, especially at this point. Based on the evidence, it seems like Tesla really has figured out autonomous driving, and its cars are now able to operate safely on real-world roads on their own. Many have also become silent in their criticisms of Tesla’s FSD feat, especially after the company posted the full video of the Model Y’s autonomous drive. Overall, Tesla critics may remain doubtful about the company and Musk’s claims, but these concerns seem to have become forced at best.
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Ford CEO favors Waymo’s LiDAR approach over Tesla’s vision-only self-driving
Farley stated that Waymo’s LiDAR-based approach made “more sense.”
Ford CEO Jim Farley shared some skepticism about Tesla’s camera-only approach to self-driving during a recent appearance at the Aspen Ideas Festival. When asked to compare Waymo and Tesla’s autonomous driving systems, Farley stated that Waymo’s LiDAR-based approach made “more sense,” citing safety, consumer trust, and the limitations of camera-based models.
Waymo’s LiDAR vs. Tesla’s Vision-Only Approach
Farley was speaking with author Walter Isaacson when he made his comments about Tesla and Waymo’s self-driving systems. As they were conversing about autonomous cars, Isaacson asked Farley which approach to self-driving he preferred.
“To us, Waymo,” Farley said, though he also stated that both Tesla and Waymo have “ made a lot of of progress” on self-driving, as noted in a Fortune report. He also confirmed that he has had conversations about the matter with Tesla CEO Elon Musk. Despite this, he said that Ford still considers LiDAR as a pivotal part of autonomous driving.
“When you have a brand like Ford, when there’s a new technology, you have to be really careful. We really believe that LiDAR is mission critical… Where the camera will be completely blinded, the LiDAR system will see exactly what’s in front of you,” the Ford CEO stated.
Tesla and Ford’s self-driving plans
Tesla recently launched a limited Robotaxi service in Austin, which uses autonomous cars with safety monitors in the front passenger seat. While controversial, Musk has maintained that Tesla’s vision-only approach will ultimately prove safer and more cost-effective in the long term. Tesla seems to be making headway towards this goal, with Musk stating recently that the first Model Y has been delivered autonomously to a customer in Austin.
Ford, for his part, is not pursuing its own fully autonomous, urban-driving system anymore. Instead, the company is focusing on “high-speed, eyes-off” experiences like BlueCruise. Ford does plan to partner with a company that has achieved true autonomous driving in the future, as soon as the technology is available.
Xiaomi CEO congratulates Tesla on first FSD delivery: “We have to continue learning!”
Tesla silences FSD critics by posting full video of Model Y delivering itself to customer
Ford CEO favors Waymo’s LiDAR approach over Tesla’s vision-only self-driving
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