Ford's Latitude AI to develop autonomous driving technology.

Ford, which dissolved its partnership with Argo AI last fall, has decided to create an internal division for the development of self-driving systems.

Called Latitude AI, this 550-staffed division will initially focus on developing hands-free, eyes-off driving assistance systems for Ford vehicles, similar to systems like Mercedes-Benz's Drive Pilot and Volvo's Ride Pilot. In contrast, Argo AI was developing a fully automated driving system to be used in commercial services such as robo-taxis.

Ford's current automated driving assistance system BlueCruise and the related Lincoln ActiveGlide system still require the driver to constantly monitor the road. As a result, they rank only Level 2 on the SAE scale of automated driving technology; Latitude AI is developing a Level 3 system, the first level at which the driver can take his eyes off the road.

Ford owns Argo AI along with the Volkswagen Group, and most of Latitude AI's facilities and staff are former employees of Argo AI, according to Ford Latitude AI's headquarters are also located in Pennsylvania, where Argo AI was headquartered. in Pittsburgh. The new company also has engineering offices in Michigan and California. The company will also operate a test track in South Carolina that simulates highway driving.

Latitude AI will be led by Sammy Omari, who is also the head of Ford's self-driving assistive technology and was previously the head of engineering for Motional, a self-driving technology company backed by the Hyundai Motor Group. Peter Carr, a former senior engineer at Argo AI, is chief technology officer at Latitude AI.

The VW Group, which has ended its partnership with Argo AI, continues to develop self-driving technology at its in-house software division, Cariad. It also plans to announce a new partner for its robo-taxi service (a service previously under development with Argo AI), which is scheduled to launch in 2025.