Honda is turning to artificial intelligence to develop automotive safety technology. As Chinese automakers accelerate new-car development by having AI generate a range of crash-safety options that engineers then synthesize, Honda aims to cut its development time by more than 40%.
Honda plans to use AI agents to generate multiple options for vehicle design and engineering changes related to crash-safety measures, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported on the 16th. Human designers would select the best option among those the AI proposes, an approach aimed at shortening development times and improving vehicle performance, the Nikkei said. The first vehicle developed using this method is expected to launch around 2030.
Using AI in crash safety for pedestrian protection during vehicle development is unusual, the Nikkei reported. In areas where AI has been widely used, such as driving performance and fuel efficiency, data is made public through universities and research institutions, whereas in crash safety the data is held entirely by automakers. Honda built its AI agents by independently adapting existing large language models (LLMs) for its own use.
Behind Honda's move is the rapid advance of Chinese automakers, whose new-car development takes 18 to 24 months, less than half the time of Japanese firms. Huawei, for one, has used AI to build three-dimensional models of vehicles in virtual space, reducing the number of physical clay models made in the real world. Geely has developed technology that uses AI to improve the fuel efficiency of hybrid vehicles.
Honda's global sales last year fell 8.6% from a year earlier to 3.439 million units, marking a second straight year of decline. Losses in its electric-vehicle business also pushed the company to its first annual deficit in the 69 years since its listing. Honda President Toshihiro Mibe said the company had long pursued an approach of raising quality by redrawing designs as many as five times in detail, while China brings cars to market by drawing them just once, using standardized parts, AI and digital technology. Honda has since laid out a "triple half" strategy to halve development time, costs and workload.
