On October 4, 2018, Honda demonstrated its “smart intersection” technology in Marysville Ohio, that is supposed to create a more efficient and safe experience, not only for the people driving the cars but for the community as a whole. Through the “smart intersection” technology’s use of vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, it is supposed to prevent traffic collisions at roadway intersections and move traffic more thoroughly. The pilot is one of the first attempts to implement the V2X technology in a real-world setting (Markets Insider, 2018)

Honda’s “smart intersection” technology will allow cars to virtually see through and beyond walls and buildings in each and every weather situation. As such, it aims to assist car drivers to be attentive to and prepared for otherwise hidden hazards. The technology functions through four cameras attached on traffic lights at each intersection corner. These cameras will detect vehicles and other moving objects, such as pedestrian traffic, and communicate their existence to the car driver through both visible and audible alerts. Accordingly, the technology enables the driver to take corrective action when required and as such reduce the number of intersection collisions (PR Newswire, 2018).

Driver-assistive safety technologies, such as Honda’s “smart intersection”, can create significant value in terms of reducing the quantity as well as the severity of collisions. Moreover, the technology offers great potential in preparing infrastructure and its users for the autonomous vehicles of the future. For now, the technology’s deployment is merely a pilot, however, Honda intends to launch its technology in 2020 (Markets Insider, 2018).

The question remains: Will Honda’s vision for a zero-collision society become reality any time soon?

References

Markets Insider. (2018). Honda Demonstrates New “Smart Intersection” Technology that Enables Vehicles to Virtually See Through and Around Buildings. Retrieved from https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/honda-demonstrates-new-smart-intersection-technology-that-enables-vehicles-to-virtually-see-through-and-around-buildings-1027592077

PR Newswire. (2018). Honda Demonstrates New “Smart Intersection” Technology that Enables Vehicles to Virtually See Through and Around Buildings. Retrieved from https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/honda-demonstrates-new-smart-intersection-technology-that-enables-vehicles-to-virtually-see-through-and-around-buildings-300724898.html

According to McKinsey&Company (2018), artificial intelligence (AI) will get real in the fashion industry in 2018 as 75% of the fashion retailers are determined to invest in AI within the next two years. As such, AI will revolutionize all parts of the fashion value chain, generating new techniques of value creation for all stakeholders. As AI enables to transform big data sets into enriched information, the whole supply chain can be enhanced, ranging from design, manufacturing, and sales to customer service. Therefore, the belief that AI is too mechanical to seize the creative vision of the fashion industry has been invalidated. A blurred line between technology and creativity will evolve. AI will cause disruptions beyond the traditional supply chain processes by redefining creative and customer interaction processes (McKinsey&Company, 2018).

The fashion industry revolves around the human emotions that the apparel provokes. The focus is on personal style, rather than the clothes themselves. Accordingly, what makes the introduction of AI into the fashion industry highly revolutionary is that the technology concentrates on this particular human, emotional part of the industry (Cartner-Morley, 2018). One of the first AI-based style assistants is the Echo Look from Amazon, which helps you compare outfits and find the perfect look for each occasion by examining your outfit through linking specific algorithms. Yet, the tech giant Amazon has taken it to a whole other level by creating an AI designer that utilises images to learn about concurrent fashion trends after which it is able to design items conforming to that trend (Rose, 2018).

However, the question remains: Will AI’s sense of style really be able to surpass the personal and creative style of fashion icons such as Kate Moss?

References

Cartner-Morley, J. (2018). Do robots dream of Prad? How artificial intelligence is reprogramming fashion. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2018/sep/15/do-robots-dream-of-prada-how-artificial-intelligence-is-reprogramming-fashion

McKinsey&Company (2018). The State of Fashion 2018. Retrieved from https://cdn.businessoffashion.com/reports/The_State_of_Fashion_2018_v2.pdf

Rose, D. (2018). Commentary: AI’s Next Victim: Your Closet. Fortune. Retrieved from http://fortune.com/2018/03/15/fashion-ai-artificial-intelligence-future-kim-kardashian/