Next Leg: I’ve Joined Toyota Research Institute
Nearly a decade ago, I jumped into the fashionable world of big data. But, thinking back on it, my data journey actually began decades earlier, right out of college, building avionics systems that guided, navigated, and controlled space vehicles for Lockheed Martin. My data journey, then, took an entrepreneurial turn through cryptographic online voting algorithms, huge people-search data systems, and massive data analytics infrastructure. Along the way, I learned the power of data to guide rockets, choose leaders, learn about each other, protect privacy, build products, lead teams, and run businesses. And with this great power, as Uncle Ben taught us, comes great social responsibility.
So, it’s with this experience, passion, and humility that I take the next step in my journey to lead the data efforts at Toyota Research Institute (TRI) — including data systems, business development, and privacy. TRI will initially focus on artificial intelligence (AI), autonomous passenger vehicles, and home robots, which all rely on massive amounts of data.
But since data is as much cultural as it is technical, the success of these efforts will hinge on a multidisciplinary approach involving technologists, business wo/men, and ethicists (including privacy advocates, of course). I’ve previously and affectionately referred to them as geeks, suits, and wonks, respectively. This converged community is moving toward a new, “big wisdom” paradigm — a paradigm that will prove critical to the responsible integration of AI technology onto our roads and into our homes. I look forward to being a part of it at TRI!
What specifically drew me in is their audacious plan to achieve disruptive innovation at TRI and bring that innovation to market using Toyota’s massive scale — a combination that seldom succeeds. However, I’m encouraged and inspired by several things at TRI: it’s a wholly-owned subsidiary that reports directly to the Toyota board of directors; a billion dollar, multi-year Toyota commitment; 10x engineers; an experienced business team; leading academic researchers from top universities; and, hey, they hired an entrepreneur like me.
I was also impressed by the focus of TRI’s mission to enhance safety, increase access, leverage expertise, and accelerate scientific discovery. To wit:
- Enhance Safety: The ultimate goal is to enhance the safety of automobiles so that they are incapable of causing a crash, regardless of the skill or condition of the driver. As the father of two grown sons, I look forward to the day when Uber isn’t their only option after closing out a happy hour.
- Increase Access: Much of the world’s industrial population is aging disproportionately. By 2050, 21% of the US population will be 65+, a 60% increase from 2010. In Japan, 40% of Japan’s population will be 65+ by 2050. Freedom of mobility, enabled with self-driving cars, could provide self-reliance and self-esteem for those who cannot drive, like seniors and people with special needs.
- Leverage Expertise: Small teams, like TRI, can deliver disruptive innovation quickly. Large, established companies, like Toyota, have the huge scale to convert this innovation into business reality. TRI is helping translate Toyota’s expertise in delivering products for outdoor mobility (like cars) into products for indoor mobility (like home robots). A telling historical wrinkle is that Toyota experienced their own disruptive innovation when they “pivoted” from automatic looms to automobiles in the 1930's.
- Accelerate Discovery: Five years ago, software was eating the world. Now, data is. This data network of sensor writes and analytical reads is the driving force that teaches machines and creates artificial intelligence. Using data and machine learning, TRI is accelerating scientific discovery into diverse, unexpected areas like materials science.
And, finally, let me say that working for Toyota is just plain cool. Since my teenage years, I’ve owned Corollas, Coronas, Celicas, 4Runners, and Priuses. My brother drove his 4Runner for nearly 20 years, and my 83 year-old father is still driving his 1995 Lexus (note to my fellow “TRI-ers”: let’s get my Dad a little autonomous driving assistance on that Lexus, ASAP).
Automobiles have played a key role in our culture for more than a hundred years. It’s not just the cars themselves but the exhilarating freedom they unleash. I’m looking forward to returning to my vehicle roots, albeit more terrestrial ones, and honored to be on the team that’s taking humans and machines on the next leg of their journey together. Let’s light this candle.
This post also appeared on LinkedIn.
P.S. Oh yeah, please drop me a note if you’re compelled by the TRI mission and looking for the next leg of your own journey. We’re hiring.
