Nvidia, a creator of artificial intelligence computers, has announced a collaboration with Mercedes-Benz which will focus on the future of autonomous vehicles. Sajjad Khan, EVP of Mercedes-Benz, was joined on stage at CES 2019 by Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, to discuss the optimization of self-driving capabilities and smart-cockpit functions.

“We’re announcing a new partnership going forward, creating a computer that defines the future of autonomous vehicles, the future of AI and the future of mobility,” Huang said.

The executives emphasized the need for a single system vehicle that is software defined and built with technology that not only meets today’s requirements but can evolve to meet the future needs of consumers. The two companies have partnered on a number of projects in the past, including last year’s unveiling of the Mercedes-Benz User Experience, which demonstrated a cockpit of the future. MBUX was integrated with AI to enhance performance in seven car models, with nine more models becoming available within the next year.

“This car computer is going to do things that no computer that exists today literally does,” Huang said.

MBUX, along with Nvidia Drive, will be creating an entirely original autonomous vehicle architecture that will have a centralized and unified compute, resulting in high performing capabilities, while being powered by AI software. The partners intend to combine Nvidia Drive AGX platforms with Mercedes’ extensive automotive engineering experience and create a next-gen vehicle that is both advanced and cost effective. Adding a breakthrough compute to vehicles will allow the cars to run AI capabilities in the car and in the cockpit, from safe autonomous driving to innovative convenience features.

“We need a partner we can rely on and work with, and I’m excited to say we’ve found that in Nvidia,” said Khan. “This partnership has brought us farther ahead than we ever could have.”