L FEBRUARY 25

SONY is planning to launch a smart ride-hailing service in its home country, Japan, leveraging artificial intelligence to handle demand and ensure proper operations.

The company announced on February 20, that it will launch an AI-powered ride-hailing system in partnership with six Japanese taxi companies.

With the help of AI, Sony’s service will intelligently handle taxi dispatches and anticipate demand and operations based on various aspects such as local events, traffic or weather.

By taking all of those factors into account, the algorithmic system should be able to dispatch taxis more effectively. For instance, if a popular concert is about to end soon, the service could send a fleet of cars so that concert-goers can find rides easily.

Sony did not announce a specific date for when it plans to launch the service, or whether it will eventually expand its availability outside of Japan.

Uber’s new CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi, is currently in Asia and announced that Uber also plans to team up with taxi companies in Japan. Khosrowshahi took over as CEO last August, replacing former CEO Travis Kalanick amid a series of scandal and turmoil.

Uber’s announcement came shortly after Sony’s announcement, and the two companies are expected to go head to head in this sector of the Japanese market.