Generative AI seems to be all the rage nowadays, and the car world is no exception. While Mercedes-Benz is turning to ChatGPT to augment its in-car infotainment system, Toyota is going in an entirely different direction: automotive design.
The program will reportedly aid designers in optimising vehicle aerodynamics by giving engineering inputs. As designers can't always consider engineering limitations in the design process, the tool can help put down constraints to make everything more efficient.
In other words, the AI tool can consider the perspective of both the designer and engineer to help deliver the best possible design.
One example is calculating vehicle drag, an engineering constraint that TRI's new AI tool can help reduce or contain in a concept design. Limiting drag can, of course, increase fuel efficiency, which is always a good thing for car buyers.
All that is possible through text-based prompts (like ChatGPT and similar software), which designers can apply to prototype design sketches.
Down the line, the tool could also aid Toyota designers in conceptualizing more efficient electric vehicles (EVs), which may help speed up the Japanese brand's clean car rollout globally.
Toyota has big plans to catch up to its competitors in the EV race, and it looks like this newest AI tool will be pivotal to its strategy moving forward.