Toyota Motor Corp. is taking a leading role in artificial intelligence research, investing heavily in areas that boost advancements to autonomous cars and robots that can aid the elderly.

Last week, the auto maker announced that it was investing $1 billion over the next five years to establish two research and development centers – the main center in Silicon Valley and a secondary campus near MIT in Massachusetts. The project is expected to eventually include 200 scientists and engineers.

The Toyota Research Institute, which is slated to open in January, will be led by Gill Pratt, who until recently was a high-ranking leader at DARPA, heading their Robotics Challenge, a competition aimed at advancing humanoid robots. The research will initially focus on how people and machines can work together, specifically in the area of mobility.

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