#CEATEC2018 – LINE is a messaging app that some of you might not be familiar with, but over in Asia, the app is incredibly popular such as over in Thailand, Malaysia, and Japan. LINE is also more than just a messaging app as they have expanded their services over the years, and now it looks like they’ll be teaming up with Toyota to bring AI to cars.Both companies announced at CEATEC 2018 last week that they’ll be bringing an AI digital assistant platform to Toyota’s cars in Japan by next summer. The system will be using LINE’s Clova Auto system that will allow drivers to “speak” to their cars and command it into doing certain tasks.
For the most part it is a digital assistant much like other digital assistants, where users will be able to ask Clova for directions to locations. They can also ask it to provide traffic updates, send messages, make calls, check the weather, and even command it to control smart home appliances (assuming they’re compatible, of course).
According to Keiji Yamamoto, a Toyota managing officer, they believe that such a system will help improve road safety as it will minimize the driver’s use of their smartphones. “Under such a situation, creating an environment where smartphones can be used safely is the mission for automakers.”
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