A new patent, recently uncovered by CarBuzz from the minds at Toyota, promises data sharing that would work out a little better for the person who is making the monthly payments.
Toyota Needs Your Data, So Why Not Pay?
It's a simple process. Toyota receives data from your vehicle, and the same computer that receives it gets a price list from the company. The system validates the data and then assesses if it "contributes to improvement." If the data meets those checks, then the system determines the matching price and sends the cash to the registered owner. If it doesn't meet the checks, it doesn't use the data, and you don't get paid.
Toyota GR Supra interior
What automakers are currently collecting, and what they're doing with it, is murky at best. GM's ban covered selling data that included vehicle location and driver behavior, among other things. The latter included hard braking events, time of day, and more. The FTC complaint alleged that this was being sold to reporting agencies including insurance companies. There were resulting allegations of premium increases and even denied coverage.
This patent, though, covers data that Toyota wants to use to train AI and machine learning models. The company said that it needs loads of that data to help its self-driving and safety system efforts, and that it needs to be accurate. Both of those mean real-world data from real customers is required, more than can be generated internally or through simulations. It also needs data on specific things and in specific conditions, which is the main reason for this patent.
Toyota doesn't list what it might pay for the data, but it does list a few examples of what it might be looking for. For example, a wild boar on a mountain road in any region captured for five seconds could be worth payment. For a pothole in the US, it might need just a second of data capture. It might want tow vehicles only in Japan, or fallen objects only on secondary roads. These are items and situations that current systems may not recognize or understand, but humans identify without issue.
The patent also makes it clear you would need to give permission. It would ask if you agree to allow it to capture and transmit data, in exchange for payment. Permission could be given and revoked, possibly even every trip.
More data transparency is absolutely necessary in the auto industry, to protect owners and drivers. It's also a massive opportunity to make money, with a 2021 report estimating it could be worth up to $400 billion a year for automakers by 2030.
If this idea from Toyota came to market, it would seem to add some of that transparency. Or at least make sure you're getting some of the value of the data your driving creates.
