{"id":274776,"date":"2016-12-06T08:51:30","date_gmt":"2016-12-06T08:51:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/?p=274776"},"modified":"2016-12-06T08:51:30","modified_gmt":"2016-12-06T08:51:30","slug":"uber-launches-artificial-intelligence-lab","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2016\/12\/uber-launches-artificial-intelligence-lab\/","title":{"rendered":"Uber launches artificial intelligence lab"},"content":{"rendered":"
Ride-sharing service Uber has acquired a New York-based artificial intelligence start-up which it hopes can speed up its progress in creating self-driving cars.<\/p>\n
The deal, for an undisclosed sum, will see Uber gain 15 specialist researchers who will form a new division at the company known as Uber AI Labs.<\/p>\n
Geometric Intelligence\u2019s co-founder Gary Marcus told the BBC the team would have a wide brief – ranging from improving traffic predictions to working towards a future of flying cars.<\/p>\n
Recent reports have suggested Uber\u2019s aggressive growth, which has required heavily subsidising fares, meant the firm lost more than $2bn (\u00a31.6bn) last year. That figure is likely to go up in 2016.<\/p>\n
But Uber\u2019s chief product officer Jeff Holden said the enormous losses were not a serious concern to the company.<\/p>\n