Rivian has revealed plans to open a new office in London. The upcoming facility will house its artificial intelligence (AI) and autonomous driving efforts.
According to a press release, the American EV startup aims to establish a London hub and attract top UK talent to complement its existing team based in Palo Alto, California. There is no information yet on which part of the English capital the office will be located in.
The company’s Rivian Autonomy Platform enables its customers to drive hands-free on the highway while remaining alert to take over when necessary, essentially achieving Level 2 autonomy. Rivian stated that it will continue to increase the capabilities of its technology to Level 3, in which drivers can engage in other tasks but be ready to step in when required.
The Rivian Autonomy Platform is in its second generation and has been designed around AI. As the number of Rivian vehicles equipped with the technology increases, the automaker has been collecting more data for fine-tuning purposes. Its goal is to build a Large Driving Model to handle trickier driving scenarios.
Rivian plans to host an AI and Autonomy day later in the year, where it will share more information.
James Philbin, Rivian’s Vice President, Autonomy & AI, said: “We’re incredibly excited about opening our AI hub in London and attracting leading talent. Our connected vehicles improve over time through over-the-air updates – and the work the team will do in the UK will accelerate our plans and ensure our vehicles remain one of the most technologically advanced and appealing on the road.”
Rivian has been expanding outside the US. It began constructing a service center in Quebec, Canada, in July.
