Former Red Bull driver Daniil Kvyat recently competed against an AI vehicle at Suzuka. The ‘man versus machine’ race took place last weekend in Japan, as part of the Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League (A2RL) international testing program. Unfortunately for Japanese motorsport fans, the race between Kvyat and his artificial opponent did not last very long.
The event took place during the finale of the Super Formula season, as part of A2RL’s testing days in Abu Dhabi, Italy, and Japan. Kvyat had to compete against the AI vehicle Yalla, from the TII Racing team, in the race on Sunday. A successful dry race had already been run on Friday, but Sunday’s race was shorter. The AI vehicle spun off the track early on due to an unexpected loss of pressure in the rear tire.
Due to time constraints, the race was not resumed, leaving it unclear whether a vehicle driven by artificial intelligence can beat a driver. “Although our race on Sunday could not be completed as planned, it was incredible to race against TII Racing’s AI car at Suzuka during our dress rehearsal,” Kvyat said in the official press release. “The atmosphere on Sunday on the grid with all the Japanese fans was amazing.
‘AI Learns and Improves’
“From the beginning of my involvement in the project, the progress of AI has been impressive,” continues the Russian driver. “AI learns and improves with each test. I am proud to play a role in advancing AI and autonomous technology that many people will benefit from in the near future.” In addition to the race between Daniel Ricciardo and Yalla, a demonstration of two AI vehicles also took place. Both AI vehicles, Yalla and Nova, were powered by the autonomous software of the TII Racing team.
Kvyat (left) competes against AI vehicle Yalla (right)
