Apple is still working on an unknown self-driving car project, according to a new report that reveals a new man is behind the wheel.
Bloomberg reports the current head of Apple’s artificial intelligence efforts, John Giannandrea, is now running the secretive Project Titan initiative that rumours suggest could one day yield an Apple Car.
The update from noted Apple insider John Gurman, says the hundreds of engineers still working on Project Titan are now under the guidance of Apple’s AI and machine learning division.
The leadership change comes after the retirement of Apple veteran and former hardware engineering president Bob Mansfield. However, it’s the news that Apple is still hard at work on the potentially exciting project that will excite fans.
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The company has rarely spoken of the project’s existence since its inception as far back as 2014. In rare comments in 2017, Apple CEO Tim Cook told Bloomberg it was the “mother of all AI projects” and “a core technology that we view as very important.”
However, what Apple is actually working on remains very much a mystery. It has been rumoured Apple’s eventual goal is to put a branded self-driving car on the road to rival Elon Musk’s Tesla. In 2017, it was rumoured a test model of the ‘Apple Car’ had been spotted in the wild in Apple’s home state of California, but that was never substantiated.
However, it’s also possible Apple’s ambitions are centred on an after market system, that could be installed on different cars. It’s also possible Apple is working with an existing auto manufacturer on the project.
Likewise, Apple invests millions exploring potential growth areas, many of which do not come to market, so it would be unwise to assume the end goals here. In 2019, it was reported Apple had laid off a significant number of Project Titan team members.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
