NTT and Toyota Motor committed to invest JPY500 billion ($3.3 billion) to develop AI-based autonomous driving technology in a bid to eliminate traffic accidents.

The pair aim to standardise requirements for safe and secure mobility services, which they expect to be adopted by a wide range of industries and partners, the companies outlined in a statement. The mobility AI platform will comprise three elements: AI infrastructure, intelligent communications infrastructure and distributed computing platform.

Work on the joint initiative will begin in 2025, with the aim to start collaborating with various partners in 2028. Widespread adoption is targeted to begin in 2030.

Toyota stated it is working on software defined vehicles with safety and security as the top priority.

In 2017, the companies joined Ericsson, Intel and NTT Docomo to form the Automotive Edge Computing Consortium, with the aim to create the network architecture to handle connected-car data.

Last week, the consortium agreed a collaboration with the GSMA to employ its Open Gateway API initiative to accelerate the pace of development of automotive services by tapping 5G.

Henry Calvert, head of networks at the GSMA, said the collaboration means the “automotive sector now has a seat at the table to voice what it requires from the telecommunications sector”.