Kawasaki has followed up its earlier Japanese press release detailing the coming of their new “smart bike” technology with an English press release, which slightly less confusing than our attempt to Google Translate the first release.

The release starts off by saying Kawasaki “is moving forward with plans to develop next-generation motorcycles that have a personality and can grow along with the rider. The motorcycles will make use of ICT (Information and Communications Technology), including AI (Artificial Intelligence), to achieve this goal.” OK so far.

Then, it goes on to say the motorcycle will use something called the “Emotion Generation Engine and Natural Language Dialogue System.” What does it do? According to Kawasaki, “From the words spoken by the rider, this AI-controlled system can pick up on the rider’s intent and emotional state. Enabling rider and motorcycle to communicate and share an understanding of purpose will open the door to a new world of unprecedented riding experiences.“

In other words: The motorcycle’s artificial intelligence will analyze your voice to determine how you want to ride. The bike will be in constant communication with cloud-based data to decide how to best configure your riding experience. As per the press release, “the system will be able to offer the rider pertinent hints for enhanced riding enjoyment, or relay safety-related or reassuring advice as the situation dictates. Through advanced electronic management technology, having the system update machine settings based on the rider’s experience, skill and riding style will also be possible.“

So, if your motorcycle determines you are upset, it will calm you down, and potentially use engine management to slow you down. The press release says this will establish mutual trust between rider and motorcycle and offer an all-new kind of enjoyment.

The release finishes off with a paragraph saying Kawasaki is using rider-centric development philosophy to build bikes with AI and individual personalities. A learning artificial intelligence that determines what your vehicle will do? Sounds like a theme Stanley Kubrick already explored on film, years ago …

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