Twitter makes it incredibly easy to gain insight into what Tesla CEO Elon Musk is thinking, for better or worse. On Sunday, Musk let slip on the social media platform that future Teslas will be reminiscent of K.I.T.T. of "Knight Rider" fame, complete with artificial intelligence.
Musk replied to a Twitter user asking if we'll see K.I.T.T.-like artificial intelligence in Teslas in the future. The CEO simply replied, "Yes" to the question. The discussion first came after Musk tweeted an article detailing the most significant AI happenings of 2017. With the tweet, Musk said, "the future is accelerating."
Yes
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 29, 2018
K.I.T.T., also known as the "Knight Industries Two Thousand," was based on a Pontiac Trans Am and possessed the ability to learn, think, and communicate with humans. K.I.T.T.'s powers were used for good alongside David Hasselhoff's Michael Knight. In the decades following "Knight Rider," K.I.T.T.'s technology has been the stuff of science fiction.
Today, automakers are rapidly working to include machine learning and AI in future cars. Tesla hasn't explicitly detailed its work, but Musk did launch a new venture in 2017 called Neuralink to help human beings merge with artificial intelligence and software. With AI, Musk said Neuralink could help improve memory and potentially alleviate those sufferings from various illnesses and diseases.
But Hyundai may be first to market with a true AI assistant. The Korean brand announced at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show that it will debut its personal AI assistant in 2019 for new vehicles. The system will allegedly handle multiple commands at once and also house the capability to remind drivers of upcoming appointments, suggest new routes based on traffic, and operate numerous vehicle commands like the HVAC controls and door locks.
Volkswagen, Ford, and Toyota are also investing millions of dollars into future AI technology.