Intel Chief Reveals Life-Saving Motivation Behind Mobileye Acquisition

Intel’s CEO Brian Krzanich made it clear that the $15.3 billion acquisition of Mobileye was all about saving lives. He realized a year ago that Intel’s technology for autonomous driving had significant gaps. “We weren’t able to create the amazing experiences we envisioned or achieve our goal of saving lives,” Krzanich admitted.

To bridge these gaps, Intel bought Mobileye. Known for its reliable technology already present in millions of vehicles, Mobileye provided the key pieces Intel needed for the future of self-driving cars.

“Today, I can proudly say that Intel and Mobileye are stronger together,” Krzanich said, noting that their combined offerings now cover everything from Mobileye’s in-car EyeQ systems to Intel’s cloud-based Xeon processors. He highlighted that integrating Mobileye puts Intel at the cutting edge of the autonomous vehicle revolution.

Krzanich emphasized that data is the most valuable resource globally. “I said it in 2016, and it’s still true. What’s even more thrilling is how computing can unlock data in ways we’ve only dreamed of, making things like autonomous driving possible.”

One of the biggest challenges on the road to autonomous vehicles is ensuring safety. Mobileye is no stranger to this, with its EyeQ collision avoidance systems already installed in around 27 million vehicles worldwide. However, current AI systems used in self-driving cars, which are probabilistic by nature, aren’t sufficient for safety. Even a small safety risk is not acceptable.

“What we need is a deterministic system that adds a safety layer on top of the AI,” Krzanich explained. “Our acquisition of Mobileye allows us to push safety boundaries further.”

To advance this cause, Intel developed the Responsibility-Sensitive Safety (RSS) framework last year. RSS defines safe driving and the threshold beyond which assertive driving becomes unsafe. It adds a transparent and definitive safety layer to verify the decisions made by driving software, ensuring they are safe.

“Simply put,” Krzanich said, “planning and policy determine how you get from point A to point B; RSS ensures you’re safe along the way. We’re calling on industry, government, academics, and consumer groups to collaborate on an open and verifiable method to guarantee the safety of self-driving cars. We believe that self-driving cars will gain public trust only if they can significantly improve safety and save lives.”

At a recent event in Ludwigsburg, Germany, Krzanich urged automotive industry executives to join this safety initiative. “The automotive industry can’t do this alone,” he told them. “We need and welcome input and collaboration from governments, regulators, standards bodies, and academia to align on a transparent and verifiable solution for autonomous vehicle safety. Together with Mobileye, Intel is dedicated to ensuring a safer, driverless future becomes a reality.”