An Audi A8 in testing mode works on refining a suite of semi-autonomous driver-assist features that allow drivers to hand over some tasks to the automobile, though they must check in with the steering wheel often to keep the system active. Car companies battling for their share of $2 trillion in annual global auto sales increasingly lean on shiny tech that takes over some of the driving from humans. Boasting names such as Autopilot, Super Cruise and ProPilot Assist, these systems -- whose radar and cameras are the building blocks of self-driving cars -- are part of a growing effort by manufacturers to woo with computing power rather than horsepower. But on the heels of two Teslas that crashed while on Autopilot, automakers find themselves increasingly torn between hyping the tech and warning owners about its limitations. Nissan's ProPILOT Assist technology, which is paving the way for future fully autonomous vehicles, is aimed at reducing the hassle of stop-and-go driving by helping control acceleration, braking and steering during single-lane highway driving. But drivers must constantly oversee the system, Nissan says.

A Ford Fusion laden with self-driving sensors does some winter weather testing. Ford Motor is in pole position when it comes to benefiting from the coming age of autonomous vehicles. That's the conclusion of a study released Monday by Navigant Research, which sells its in-depth surveys of energy and transportation markets to suppliers, policymakers and other industry stakeholders. The Dearborn-based automaker took the top spot by demonstrating that it has the strategic vision and execution capabilities to both develop automated driving systems as well as deploy them across a range of mobility platforms. Many automakers are targeting 2021 for a roll-out of autonomous vehicles that likely will be part of a ride-sharing network.

A Ford Fusion laden with self-driving sensors does some winter weather testing. Ford Motor is in pole position when it comes to benefiting from the coming age of autonomous vehicles. That's the conclusion of a study released Monday by Navigant Research, which sells its in-depth surveys of energy and transportation markets to suppliers, policymakers and other industry stakeholders. The Dearborn-based automaker took the top spot by demonstrating that it has the strategic vision and execution capabilities to both develop automated driving systems as well as deploy them across a range of mobility platforms. Many automakers are targeting 2021 for a roll-out of AVs that likely will be part of a ride-sharing network.

Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) today announces it is investing $1 billion during the next five years in Argo AI, an artificial intelligence company, to develop a virtual driver system for the automaker's autonomous vehicle coming in 2021 – and for potential license to other companies. "The next decade will be defined by the automation of the automobile, and autonomous vehicles will have as significant an impact on society as Ford's moving assembly line did 100 years ago," said Ford President and CEO Mark Fields. "As Ford expands to be an auto and a mobility company, we believe that investing in Argo AI will create significant value for our shareholders by strengthening Ford's leadership in bringing self-driving vehicles to market in the near term and by creating technology that could be licensed to others in the future."Founded The team of experts in robotics and artificial intelligence is led by Argo AI founders Bryan Salesky, company CEO, and Peter Rander, company COO. Both are alumni of Carnegie Mellon National Robotics Engineering Center and former leaders on the self-driving car teams of Google and Uber, respectively.

Bill Ford, executive chairman and chairman of the board for Ford Motor Company, speaks during the company's press conference at the 2017 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan, Jan. 9. (GEOFF ROBINS/AFP/Getty Images) Recently Ford Motors announced that it had teamed up with Amazon to allow its users to access their car from home and call up other features from their vehicle via Alexa, Amazon's voice assistant. The Alexa integration enables Ford drivers to listen to audiobooks inside their vehicles, request news, play music and add items to Amazon shopping lists. This announcement comes after General Motors announced its cognitive mobility platform which allows users to connect and interact with their favourite brands while driving. As companies look at optimizing the driver's time spent in the car, this integration should enhance consumer experience in Ford vehicles. With the auto industry undergoing a transformation, the use of technology to make cars "smart" can help Ford in developing a competitive edge and furthering its mobility initiative.

Ford reported a sharp drop in October sales in the U.S. Unit sales declined 12% as passenger car sales slumped. Ford postponed its release on Tuesday due to fire delays at its headquarters in Michigan. Ford is working on a new technology that uses an array of sensors that monitors activity going on behind a car that is backing up and stops it if the driver doesn't notice a pedestrian or another car. SAN FRANCISCO -- Ford Motor is working on a suite of new driver-assist safety features for its production cars that stop short of offering full autonomy. Among the technologies being developed at the automaker's Research and Innovation Center in Aachen, Germany, include camera- and laser-enabled systems that can take over the steering wheel in an emergency to avoid high-speed collisions, as well as mapping-triggered dash alerts that warn drivers they're traveling down a one-way road.

Only nine states and Washington, D.C., have laws on the books related to autonomous vehicles. Olli, a self-driving bus, is set to debut in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Local Motors) SAN FRANCISCO - If you've got tech skills and are interested in self-driving cars, there's a good chance you'll wind up working in the Bay Area. Where jobs in the automotive field were once exclusively tied to Detroit, the mushrooming importance of software to mobility has seen employment opportunities migrate west as established automakers such as Ford Motor and Mercedes-Benz boost their ranks in Silicon Valley. That shift is borne out by data provided to USA TODAY by Paysa, a site that uses machine learning to provide salary information and career success insights for both job seekers and businesses. Over the past six months, dozens of companies looking for self-driving car talent posted more than 350 job listings, with 230 of those jobs based in either Mountain View or Palo Alto.

A setup in California is using AI-inspired mapping software for self-driving cars in its repertoire. It recently got a donation of 6.6 million from a few investing companies. One of these was Ford Motors. Ford is busy road-testing its high technology on the thoroughfares of California and Michigan. The technicians of the company are looking closely at the sensors and other odds and ends in the self-driving vehicles.The AI mapping startup is titled Civil Maps and it is now all ready to engage in some valuable research mainly funded by Ford Motors.