---
title: "Sony Wants to Use AI to Dispatch Taxis in Japan"
description: "Sony is teaming up with Japanese taxi operators to test an AI-based dispatching system."
date: "2018-02-20"
modified: "2018-02-20"
authors:
  - name: "Stephen Edelstein"
    job_title: "Weekend Editor"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/stephen-edelstein"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/tech/18631/sony-wants-to-use-ai-to-dispatch-taxis-in-japan"
categories:
  - "News"
tags:
  - "AI"
  - "Artificial Intelligence"
  - "Japan"
  - "Sony"
  - "taxi"
---

# Sony Wants to Use AI to Dispatch Taxis in Japan

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2018/02/02_010.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

Sony wants to use artificial intelligence to more efficiently dispatch taxis in Japan. The electronics giant is partnering with five Japanese taxi companies to commercialize the concept, reports [*Nikkei Asian Review*](<https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Companies/Sony-chases-SoftBank-and-Toyota-in-taxi-hailing-fray>). The project could make Sony into a major player in a market where Uber is a minor presence.

Sony hopes to build a platform that will coordinate taxis based on factors like past rides, traffic, weather conditions, and local events. Riders will likely use an app, just like [Uber](<https://www.thedrive.com/tech/18477/uber-losses-down-in-fourth-quarter-but-still-huge>), but will ride in actual taxis rather than privately-owned ride-sharing vehicles. Uber is only allowed to operate in certain sparsely-populated areas of Japan because of strict regulations.

Those regulations make an Uber-style ride-sharing service impossible in Japan, but various companies are trying to use technology to improve traditional taxi services. [Last year](<https://www.thedrive.com/tech/7791/taxis-in-japan-are-using-artificial-intelligence-to-predict-ride-requests>), NTT Docomo began testing AI-based software designed to predict ride requests.

More recently, Toyota invested 7.5 billion yen ($70 million) in JapanTaxi, an app-development arm of taxi operator Nihon Kotsu, also with the goal of developing an AI-based dispatching system. Both Uber and [Chinese rival Didi Chuxing](<https://www.thedrive.com/tech/18338/chinese-uber-nemesis-didi-chuxing-partners-with-renault-nissan-on-car-sharing>) have talked with Japanese taxi operators about providing dispatch systems (Japanese firm SoftBank is a major investor in both Uber and Didi). But with five taxi companies already signed up, Sony may have a head start.

## Author
Stephen has always been passionate about cars, and managed to turn that passion into a career as a freelance automotive journalist. When he's not handling weekend coverage for The Drive, you can find him looking for a new book to read.

### Author social links  
[Twitter](<https://twitter.com/SAEdelstein>)