• News
  • Guides
  • Reviews
  • Media
  • About
  • News
  • Guides
  • Reviews
  • Media
  • About
Sign up Now (For Free)

Sign up for our newsletter and receive the latest automotive news in your inbox!

Invalid email address
We promise not to spam you. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Thanks for subscribing!
News
Read Now
  • All News
  • Automakers
  • Automobiles
  • Auto Shows
  • Business
  • EVs & Environment
  • Guides
  • Lawsuits/Legal
  • Regulatory
  • Ride-Sharing
  • Safety & Recalls
  • Technology
Recent
  • The End of an Era for Rolls-Royce
  • South Carolina Provides $1.29 Billion Incentive for new Scout Factory
  • Hyundai and Kia Criticized about Stolen Car Problems by Attorneys General
  • Dodge Rolls Out Final “Last Call” Model: a 1,025-Hp Challenger SRT Demon 170
  • Acura’s New Integra Type S Launching with 320 Hp
  • First Look: Ferrari Roma Spider
  • What do Americans Think of EV Ownership Today?
  • Challenger Fain Edges Closer to UAW Presidency
  • Week Ahead: All About the Cars — Except for the UAW Part
  • The Rearview Mirror: Birth of a Sports Car Legend
Editor’s Choice
    Reviews
    Read Now
    • All Reviews
      • Feeder
    • Classic Cars
    • Concept Cars
    • Convertibles
    • Coupes
    • Crossovers/CUVs
    • Diesel
    • Hot hatches
    • Hybrids
    • Luxury Vehicles
    • Minivans
    • Muscle Cars
    • Pickups
    • Sedans
    • Sports Cars
    • Super Cars
    • SUVs
    Recent Reviews
    • First Drive: 2023 Genesis Electrified GV70
    • First Drive: 2023 Nissan Ariya e-4orce AWD
    • A Week With: 2023 Jeep Compass Limited
    • A Week With: 2023 Cadillac Escalade V-Series
    • A Week With: 2023 Volvo XC40 AWD Ultimate
    • First Drive: 2024 Subaru Crosstrek
    • First Drive: 2023 Lexus RZ 450e
    • A Week With: 2023 Toyota GR Supra 3.0 Manual
    • First Impression: 2024 Volkswagen ID.Buzz
    • A Week With: 2023 Chevrolet Blazer RS AWD
    Editor’s Choice
      Guides
      Car Warranty
      • Endurance Warranty Reviews
      • BMW Extended Warranty
      • Extended Warranty For Cars Over 100k Miles
      • Extended Car Warranty Cost
      • Subaru Extended Warranty
      • CarShield Reviews
      • CarShield Cost
      • Aftermarket Car Warranty
      • CARCHEX Warranty Reviews
      • Reputable Extended Car Warranty Companies
      • Used Car Warranty Companies
      • Best Car Warranty
      • Is CarShield A Scam?
      • Mercedes Extended Warranty
      • CarShield Plans
      Insurance
      • How To Identify A Car Insurance Company
      • Geico Mechanical Breakdown Insurance
      • How Far Back Does A Car Insurance Company Look
      • Mechanical Breakdown Insurance For Used Cars
      • State Farm Mechanical Breakdown Insurance
      • Mechanical Breakdown Insurance From Progressive
      • Dollar A Day Insurance
      • Auto Insurance For SSI Recipients
      • Car Insurance Rates After A Suspended License
      • Auto Insurance For Salvage Vehicles
      • Average Cost of Dodge Ram 1500 Car Insurance
      • Car Insurance Florida
      • Full Coverage Auto Insurance
      • GrubHub Insurance
      • Amazon Delivery Auto Insurance
      Shipping
      • Car Shipping Companies
      • uShip Reviews
      • Auto Shipping From California To Hawaii
      • Montway Auto Transport Reviews
      • Cheap Car Shipping
      • Easy Auto Ship Reviews
      • Auto Shipping Miami
      • Auto Shipping To Alaska
      • Car Shipping Cost
      • Auto Shipping Hawaii
      • Auto Shipping Puerto Rico
      • Sherpa Auto Transport Reviews
      • Auto Shipping Atlanta
      • Auto Shipping Boston
      • Auto Shipping. Chicago
      About
      • About Us
      • Contact Us
      • Terms of Use
      • Privacy Policy
      • Affiliate Disclosure
      • Sitemap
      TheDetroitBureau.com

      More than just “another” place to find news, reviews, spy shots, commentary, features, and guides about the auto industry. TheDetroitBureau doesn’t stop with the press releases or confuse a few lines of opinion with insightful, in-depth reporting.

      Contact Us

      Like what you see? Have some ideas for making The Detroit Bureau.com even better? Let us know, we’d love to hear your voice.

        Media
        Listen Now
        • Headlight News: All Episodes
        More from TheDetroitBureau
        • Guides
        • Latest News
        • Auto Reviews
        • Podcasts
        Headlight News

        TheDetroitBureau.com’s Headlight News offers a look at the past week’s top automotive news stories, as well as what’s coming up in the week ahead. Check out the week’s top story and our latest review…along with a dive into the past with this week in automotive history.

        home > news > Automakers > Apple Cuts Over 200 Jobs at Autonomous Vehicle Project

        Apple Cuts Over 200 Jobs at Autonomous Vehicle Project

        Move raises questions about what will remain of Project Titan.

        Paul A. Eisenstein
        Paul A. Eisenstein , Publisher & Editor-in-Chief
        Jan. 24, 2019
        Apple Tim Cook had called self-driving vehicles "the mother of all AI projects."

        Apple has cut at least 200 jobs at Project Titan, its autonomous vehicle project, sources told TheDetroitBureau.com, a report now confirmed by CNBC.

        The operation has been underway in near secrecy for several years and had previously gone through several upheavals, according to sources, as the tech giant tried to figure out exactly what its long-term goals would be. While it appeared committed to the idea of developing self-driving vehicle technology, the big question was whether Apple should also build the cars that would use that technology and, if so, how they would be used.

        Breaking News!

        “We have an incredibly talented team working on autonomous systems and associated technologies at Apple,” a company spokesperson told CNBC overnight. “As the team focuses their work on several key areas for 2019, some groups are being moved to projects in other parts of the company, where they will support machine learning and other initiatives, across all of Apple.”

        (Waymo plans to outfit cars with its self-driving tech in MI plant. Click Here for the latest.)

        The cutbacks apparently will not kill Project Titan off entirely, the spokesperson added, noting that, “We continue to believe there is a huge opportunity with autonomous systems, that Apple has unique capabilities to contribute, and that this is the most ambitious machine learning project ever.”

        A sketch of a possible Apple Car interior leaked out several years ago.

        The fact that Apple would even comment on the latest developments is significant. Project Titan was the subject of several years of rumors before CEO Tim Cook addressed it in any form, initially by teasing that self-driving cars would be “the mother of all AI projects,” in an interview with Bloomberg in June 2017.

        By then, it was believed that Apple had assembled a massive team to develop not only self-driving software but a vehicle that would be able to use the technology. But there were subsequent indications Apple might eliminate vehicle production from its plans, much as rival Alphabet did when it spun the Waymo self-driving project off from Google several years ago.

        Waymo late last year launched the world’s first self-driving vehicle ride-sharing service in Phoenix, a venture it plans to expand to other cities over the coming years. But Waymo CEO John Krafcik has decided to rely on vehicles provided by traditional automakers, including Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Jaguar Land Rover. In turn, it is modifying them itself using both software and hardware built in-house. Waymo is now planning to set up a plant in the Detroit region to handle those modifications.

        (Waymo kicks off autonomous taxi and ride-sharing service. Click Here for the story.)

        Apple was reportedly using vehicles like this modified Lexus to test its autonomous technology.

        Exactly why Apple decided to shake up its own program is unclear, though CNBC reports it may have something to do with its hiring, last August, of Doug field, a former Tesla vice president of engineering. He has been overseeing Project Titan, working alongside Bob Mansfield. Mansfield is the engineer credited with a number of major developments at Apple, including the Apple Watch. He had been reassigned, several years ago, to work on special projects,

        Whether Apple remains in the self-driving vehicle sector or not, there will be plenty of competition in that emerging arena. General Motors is planning to challenge the Waymo One service this coming year using technology developed by its Cruise Automation subsidiary.

        Last October, Honda agreed to team up with GM in what will be a long-term, $2 billion investment that gives it a stake in Cruise. Japanese investment firm SoftBank has also invested in the GM subsidiary.

        Ford, Volkswagen and other traditional automakers are planning to enter the field with not only self-driving vehicles but with subsidiary ride-sharing operations. And both Uber and Lyft are developing autonomous vehicles of their own.

        (GM assigns Pres. Dan Ammann to run its Cruise Automation operations. Click Here for more.)

        How to Care for Your Car

        Cheap Car Warranty

        Editor's Choice

        Best Extended Car Warranty

        Editor's Choice
        Recently Published
        2023 Rolls-Royce Black Badge Wraith Black Arrow nose REL

        The End of an Era for Rolls-Royce

        Yesterday
        Scout in neon on grille

        South Carolina Provides $1.29 Billion Incentive for new Scout Factory

        Yesterday
        2018 Hyundai Sonata front

        Hyundai and Kia Criticized about Stolen Car Problems by Attorneys General

        Yesterday

        Leave a Reply Cancel reply

        Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

        Share this article:
        © The Detroit Bureau 2023
        • Guides
        • Privacy Policy
        • Terms of Use
        • Affiliate Disclosure
        • Contact Us
        • Sitemap
        Follow Us: