Missing AI-driven car may be roaming Contra Costa County on its own

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (April 1, 2023) — An autonomous vehicle that uses artificial intelligence to navigate went missing in Concord Friday afternoon. TrAIps Lab, which developed the car, had planned to test it at Concord’s GoMentum Station over the weekend.

The car disappeared from a private workshop in North Concord where the developers were upgrading its GPS. The upgrade had not been completed, which means they can’t now track the car remotely.

Carlton Lim, who helped develop the car’s AI, says facility staff had first thought the car had been taken by thieves. But it has since been seen on CCTV footage and appears to be driving itself. Lim is unsure where it might be headed.

Concord Police are on the lookout for the prototype vehicle but fear that it may have already traveled out of the city. A reward has been offered for the car’s return. It is a silver 4-door compact car with the California license plate APR-F001S.