Sony-Honda Mobility to Develop AI Self-Driving Electric Vehicles

❶ Sony-Honda Mobility to develop AI self-driving electric vehicles

Sony Group and Honda Motor will use artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the autonomous driving capabilities of electric vehicles developed by the two companies, catching up with technology leader Tesla. The joint venture Sony-Honda Mobility will introduce AI autonomous driving functions in the luxury model Afeela, which is expected to debut in Japan and the United States in 2026. AI will use the operating system being developed by the two companies to continuously improve the autonomous driving function through updates once or twice a year. The initial system is expected to have L3 level functions, which can achieve autonomous driving on highways and certain other conditions. (Ai Jiwei)

❷ Midea Group invested nearly 60 billion yuan in R&D over the past five years to accelerate innovation in AI and robotics technologies

Midea Group has invested nearly 60 billion yuan in research and development in the past five years, of which more than 14.5 billion yuan was spent on research and development in 2023, accounting for more than 30% of net profit. The company has established 33 research and development centers around the world and has more than 23,000 R&D personnel, including more than 7,000 masters and doctors. Fang Hongbo, chairman of Midea Group, emphasized that technological leadership is the company's core strategy, and it will continue to increase investment in research and development to seek breakthroughs in basic research and disruptive technologies. Midea has made significant progress in cutting-edge technologies such as AI, robotics, and energy storage, especially in the use of AI to accelerate the development of robotics technology. In addition, Midea also plans to further expand its market influence in the robotics and automation systems business through spin-offs and other means. (Titanium Media)

❸BYD and Black Myth: Wukong reach global strategic cooperation

BYD, the leader of China's new energy vehicles, has reached a global strategic cooperation with the phenomenal game "Black Myth: Wukong", becoming the only car brand to cooperate with the game. This cooperation marks the strong combination of the game and the automotive industry to jointly write Chinese mythology. "Black Myth: Wukong" has achieved remarkable success in the global market with its profound Chinese cultural heritage and excellent gaming experience, and BYD is also unique in the automotive field with its innovative technology and respect for traditional culture. The two parties will cooperate to protect Chinese monuments and national treasures, provide scientific basis for the protection of monuments through digital scanning technology, and further promote Chinese culture. (36Kr)

❹ "ThingX Technology" completed 10 million yuan angel round financing

"ThingX Technology" successfully completed its angel round of financing, raising a total of HK$12 million, exclusively invested by Gokewei. The funds will be used to enhance the company's R&D capabilities in multi-modal sensor large models and terminal large model deployment, promote the marketization of existing products, and accelerate the mass production of new C-end products to be released. In addition, the company will continue to introduce high-end talents. (36Kr)