When people talk about creating an artificial intelligence, the conversation is often focused on human or superhuman AI -- systems that would equal or surpass us in intelligence. But what if we create an artificial intelligence that's deserving of respect, but don't recognize it as such? That's a question I've had bouncing around in my head for the past several months. Over the course of human history, we've proven very poor as a species at successfully evaluating the intelligence of other beings, whether they're human or non-human. Consider crows, who learn from their dead, recognize individuals, use tools, and even bring gifts to those they like -- are they … intelligent? Furthermore, if we were to create an AI that produced those characteristics, does it require the same sort of considerations that a crow does, with regards to its treatment at the hands of humanity?

I don't have to open the doors of AImotive's white 2015 Prius to see that it's not your average car. This particular Prius has been christened El Capitan, the name written below the rear doors, and two small cameras are mounted on top of the car. Inside is where things really get interesting, though. The trunk holds a computer the size of a microwave, and a large monitor covers the passenger glove compartment and dashboard. The center console has three switches labeled "Allowed," "Error," and "Active."

Level 4 autonomous technology designed to allow drivers to take their minds off the road is to be tested in cars on French motorways later this year. Carmaker Groupe PSA has announced a partnership with Hungarian automotive software developer AImotive, to test a pilot programme at highway cruising speeds of up to 130 kilometres per hour, on 300km dedicated motorway sections. The project will test AI-based technologies including adaptive cruise control, fully automated lane changing, autonomous over-taking and collision avoidance, according to Adam Kotai, control engineer at AImotive. "We are testing our recognition capabilities, so recognising things like other cars, people and road lanes, as well as our capabilities for controlling the car, such as lane keeping," he said. The partnership is designed to demonstrate the potential of AI technology for so-called Level 4 capabilities, or highly autonomous vehicles, capable of driving safely even if the driver chooses not to intervene.

Every automaker and startup seems to be building a nearly sentient system designed to operate cars and avoid objects (especially humans). AImotive (pronounced "AI Motive" -- yeah, it's confusing) is doing the same thing, except it's also designing the accompanying hardware. The ultimate goal is to create a suite that simplifies the way we connect different hardware configurations. The company is creating a lower-cost self-driving system that forgoes the pricey LiDAR sensors in exchange for multiple low-cost cameras. Meanwhile in the trunk of AImotive's Prius test vehicle, the company is sticking with industry darling NVIDIA to help make sense of all that camera data.

Every automaker and startup seems to be building a nearly sentient system designed to operate cars and avoid objects (especially humans). AImotive (pronounced "AI Motive" -- yeah, it's confusing) is doing the same thing, except it's also designing the accompanying hardware. The ultimate goal is to create a suite that simplifies the way we connect different hardware configurations. The company is creating a lower-cost self-driving system that forgoes the pricey LiDAR sensors in exchange for multiple low-cost cameras. Meanwhile in the trunk of AImotive's Prius test vehicle, the company is sticking with industry darling NVIDIA to help make sense of all that camera data.

Hungarian company AImotive is working towards developing an affordable autonomous driving system for $6000. The company has applied for permission to test the technology on the local roads near its California office, located near Google's HQ. While companies like Waymo and Uber use an expensive radar-like system called LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) in their self-driving car programs, AImotive claims to achieve the same using regular cameras combined with artificial intelligence. The company claims that this brings down the cost of converting a regular car into a driverless one to around $6,000 as opposed to $70,000-$100,000. "The whole traffic system is based on the visual system. Drivers don't have bat ears and sonars, you just look around and drive," said Laszlo Kishonti, CEO and Founder, AImotive.

The AImotive office is in a small converted house at the end of a quiet residential street in sunny Mountain View, spitting distance from Google's headquarters. Outside is a branded Toyota Prius covered in cameras, one of three autonomous cars the Hungarian company is testing in the sleepy neighbourhood. While other autonomous car projects, including those from Waymo and Uber, rely on an expensive (but very useful) radar-like system called Lidar for depth perception and obstacle detection (as well as cameras for seeing the colour of traffic lights and signs), AImotive is trying to do the same using regular cameras combined with artificial intelligence. This means the company can convert a regular car into a driverless one for a fraction of the price – around $6,000 – as opposed to $70,000-$100,000. "The whole traffic system is based on the visual system," explained founder and CEO Laszlo Kishonti. "Drivers don't have bat ears and sonars, you just look around and drive."

Artificial intelligence has experienced rapid advancements in the last five years, enabling new technologies previously only imagined in Hollywood films or best-selling novels. The advent of deep learning - high performance computing combined with big data and sophisticated neural networks - has spurred an avalanche effect in AI development for a variety of product domains. As technology improves, researchers then design prototypes, algorithms are subsequently created, and developers begin looking to optimise hardware solutions to help enable these new technologies. This new AI sophistication has led to a natural cohesiveness between AI and autonomous driving. For years the prevailing wisdom was that Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) would gradually evolve into self-driving capabilities, but the industry has found that innovation at this level is limited.

AImotive, formerly AdasWorks, is the leader in AI-powered motion. AImotive delivers a full stack technology solution and powerful Artificial Intelligence software for the automotive industry, designed to provide self-driving vehicles better safety and increased productivity. How does your self-driving technology work? AImotive products deliver the robust technology required to operate self-driving vehicles in all conditions, and can be adapted to different driving styles and cultures. AImotive enables OEMs to move faster and more efficiently into fully autonomous car production.

This story was delivered to BI Intelligence IoT Briefing subscribers. To learn more and subscribe, please click here. AImotive, a Budapest-based artificial intelligence (AI) provider for fully autonomous vehicles, announced that it's expanding its operations to the US, TechCrunch reports. The company recently opened an office in Mountain View, California, and more offices around the country could soon be opened. AImotive's goal is to provide AI solutions to automakers to help enable level 5 autonomy, which we define as a vehicle operating without pedals or a steering wheel.