Based in Silicon Valley, the Toyota Research Institute (TRI) was established by Toyota in 2016 to conduct cutting-edge research in AI, robotics, automated driving, and more.

At the invitation of TRI CEO Dr. Gill Pratt, Yuta Tomikawa returned to TRI after two years to experience its latest technological advances firsthand.

The key to this technical evolution lies in two AI systems: System 1 and System 2. System 1 generates answers quickly, whereas System 2 takes time to reason before answering. System 2 is also referred to as reasoning AI since it can organize information and arrive at answers even in situations with few precedents.

TRI is now focusing on this System 2 AI, with a human-centric philosophy at the heart of its research. The same philosophy guides the development of the technology Tomikawa experienced here—robotics, an AI-coached driving system, and AI that helps plug-in hybrid drivers build better charging habits.

However, the rapid evolution of AI has created fear, especially with recent news reports of AI going rogue.

In the second half of the program, Tomikawa put these concerns and questions directly to Dr. Pratt. Hear what the leading figure in American AI, who previously led robotics research programs at the U.S. Department of Defense's DARPA, had to say.