I went to the first AI driving lesson in Japan June 6 at 7:16
Speaking of driver's license lessons, you will acquire skills while being taught by an instructor who sits in the passenger seat ... That is the common sense so far.
However, AI will also enter the training scene, and the scenery that was taken for granted until now may change completely.
For the first time in Japan as a training course for obtaining a license, an "AI driving school" has appeared in Okayama City.
I went to the site and experienced what kind of training it was.
(Okayama Broadcasting Station Reporter Yuka Endo)
Driving a driving course alone?
When you visit a driving school in Naka-ku, Okayama City, you will see the familiar sight of a training car driving slowly with S-shaped curves and cranks.
However, when I looked closely at the inside of the training car, I saw one student behind the wheel in the driver's seat.
There is no instructor who is supposed to be in the passenger seat.
"Please take out 30 kilometers" "Turn right at the intersection"
In the car, the voice of AI = artificial intelligence like the voice of a car navigation system sounds.
Instead of instructors, the AI checks whether the driver is driving properly.
During the lesson, the instructor watches from inside the building overlooking the course.
It is connected to the inside of the car by a telephone system, and gives advice as necessary, such as "slow down at intersections with poor visibility."
Then, after driving the course, the instructor gets into the stopped training car and checks the driving results analyzed by AI with the students.
The monitor shows a view of the trajectory of the training car from above.
This is the analysis result when turning right.
The ideal line is yellow, the trajectory of the student's driving is displayed in green, and you can see at a glance that the car was too centered when turning.
In "Sensors" and "Cameras"
This AI training system was developed by a company that runs a driving school in Fukuoka in cooperation with a startup company that handles autonomous driving software in Aichi Prefecture.
AI training has been used for licensed paper driver training and driving training for the elderly, but this example of Okayama is the first time in Japan that it has been introduced into training for obtaining a driver's license.
On the roof of the driving car, sensors are equipped.
AI learns information about courses in driving schools in advance.
By combining sensors and road information, the system grasps the position and movement of the vehicle and evaluates driving.
The error is within 10 centimeters.
In addition, the interior of the car is equipped with a camera that captures the driver.
AI also reads the student's eye movements and determines whether the safety of the surroundings is sufficiently checked when changing lanes or turning left or right.
Struggling with severe judgment
The reporter also experienced it for himself.
If you do not check your surroundings before changing course, you will hear a mechanical sound and you will be deducted points.
Before turning right at an intersection, if the timing of turning the blinker is too late, "beep".
If you don't pull to the middle of the road before turning right, you will "beep".
It's a true "pip" storm.
The AI pointed it out.
The merit is "accuracy"
We asked the students what they thought of the AI lesson.
Student
: "AI is tough because it will be pointed out if you make a slight mistake in timing, but I think that strict guidance will help you prepare for the actual event."
Tomohito Kajiwara, who has been an instructor for about 15 years, explains the characteristics of AI as follows.
Tomohito Kajiwara, a training instructor:
"The advantage of AI is that it can accurately evaluate students.
However, is it safe for a student who has not yet obtained a license to drive alone?
Tomohito Kajiwara, a training instructor:
"We don't use an AI system from the beginning, but the instructors teach us how to turn the steering wheel, where to look and drive, and where to look at the line of sight."
At first, an instructor will ride with you, and when you get used to it, you will switch to AI training.
In addition, the AI training car is equipped with automatic brakes, so if there is a risk of collision or in dangerous situations such as ignoring traffic lights, the brakes are activated.
Running out of instructors?
Behind the development of this AI training system is a strong concern about labor shortages.
The number of people who obtain driver's licenses is expected to decrease due to the declining birthrate, but on the other hand, the pace of decline in instructors is expected to accelerate in the future due to the aging of the population.
Yoshiro Egami, President
of Minami Holdings, which is involved in AI driving schools: "To put it simply, there is a shortage of instructors, and in recent years, there has been a shortage of people in the field of work style reform and driving training for the elderly that are not lessons. In addition, the instructors are aging. If productivity is not improved without compromising the quality of education, driving schools nationwide will collapse. In order to do that, DX = digital transformation in skill training is indispensable."
The fee for AI training in Okayama is about 5,5000 yen 15,20 yen (including consumption tax) up to the stage before obtaining a provisional license.
As it can reduce labor costs, it is set lower than general driving schools.
Since last summer, <> people who have taken AI training have obtained provisional licenses, and about <> are still taking it.
The challenges to widespread use are:
On the other hand, there are challenges.
AI training, which is a new technology, is a technology that is not envisioned by law and is not recognized as a lesson designated by the prefectural public safety commission.
For this reason, it cannot be used at the general "designated driving school" that most users attend.
AI training in Okayama is conducted in the form of borrowing courses at "Registered Driving Schools" that provide training for special vehicles.
At general designated driving schools, you can take a proficiency test for a provisional license or this license, but in both AI lessons, you need to go to the driving test center, and the examination fee will be borne separately from the training fee.
In addition, since it does not support on-road training, users must re-enter another driving school to receive on-the-road skill training after obtaining a provisional license.
AI training is being considered in Miyazaki Prefecture following Okayama, but deregulation will be necessary for full-scale spread.
President
Yoshiro Egami: "Our current goal is to be able to use AI training at 'designated driving schools' nationwide.
As a result of the relaxation of regulations with the advancement of autonomous driving technology for obtaining a driver's license, the ban on "Level 4" cars that are fully autonomous driving under certain conditions has been lifted in Japan.
There is a debate over how to utilize generative AI such as "ChatGPT", but it will be interesting to see if "AI training" will expand in the future.
Okayama Broadcasting Station reporter
Yuka
Endo joined the station in 2019 Covering Okayama city government, the
prefecture's economy, and heavy rains Japan west