The Ten Commandments of Victory with AI Vehicles
Recently, news has reported that more than 40 tornadoes occurred simultaneously in the same area in the United States. Hearing this, I cannot help but worry that the situation is no longer just “global warming” but rather “global boiling,” reaching an irreversible point. It seems certain that natural disasters will become even more intense in the future.
Meanwhile, reports suggest that Japanese automobile manufacturers are rapidly developing autonomous driving technology using AI. However, what is the reality? It appears that AI adoption is limited to parts of the manufacturing process. Compared to the global competition, Japanese companies are significantly lagging, and the chances of surviving in the industry are said to be extremely slim. By 2025, mid-to-late, this harsh reality will likely become painfully evident.
As global boiling progresses, the automotive industry will require essential technologies like "battery electric vehicles (BEVs)" and "Mobility as a Service (MaaS)." Additionally, the introduction of carbon taxes will be unavoidable. To adapt to these changes, it is said that the following 10 items must be achieved by 2026:
1,Development of high-performance, cost-efficient batteries (Chinese manufacturers hold a significant advantage).
2,Development of Level 4–5 autonomous driving technologies (Tesla aims to achieve this between 2025–2027).
3,Rationalization and robotization of manufacturing (achieving 90% automation and 90% in-house production while reducing parts and labor by about one-sixth).
4,Improvement of vehicle utilization rates (from the current 5% to over 30%), reducing the need for large-scale vehicle production.
5,AI-driven seamless ride-hailing and operational systems for robotaxis (completed with just two taps: summon and ride).
6,Overall energy efficiency improvements and significantly lower maintenance costs, with BEVs achieving one-third to one-fifth the energy costs of gasoline vehicles.
7,Over-The-Air (OTA) update functionality to keep older vehicles constantly updated with the latest performance.
8,velopment of road condition monitoring, optimal route guidance, and communication systems using satellites.
9,tablishment of seamless and user-friendly charging stations and automatic charging systems.
10,ding business models where vehicles generate revenue (e.g., operating as autonomous taxis when not in use).
Failure to achieve all these will make it nearly impossible to survive in the vehicle industry of the near future (3–5 years from now). Unfortunately, Japanese automakers currently meet none of these requirements. In contrast, new-era manufacturers are making massive investments of trillions of yen annually, moving at lightning speed to achieve all these goals.
Furthermore, the rapid development of AI, AGI, and ASI will undoubtedly impact not only the automotive industry but all aspects of human activity. Falling behind in AI development could prove fatal.
In addition, Japan faces not only the natural disasters driven by global boiling but also an era of frequent major earthquakes. With no substantial preparations for this challenging future, Japan risks falling into a critical situation due to a lack of resources, technological capability, and leadership.
How should we confront this reality and carve out a path for the future?