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TIER IV unveils AI-based Level 4 autonomous driving, accelerating global platform expansion
The company is launching testing in Tokyo, Pittsburgh, and Munich to validate its new data-centric AI technology for Level 4 autonomous driving.
Mar. 16, 2026 at 1:48am
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TIER IV, the developer of the open-source Autoware autonomous driving software, has unveiled new AI-powered software stacks for Level 4 autonomous driving. The company is launching testing collaborations in Tokyo, Pittsburgh, and Munich to validate the effectiveness of its data-centric AI models and MLOps platform for expanding autonomous driving capabilities. TIER IV aims to establish AI-based Level 4 autonomous driving as an industry standard through the Autoware open-source ecosystem.
Why it matters
TIER IV's work on advancing open-source autonomous driving software through Autoware is a significant step towards making Level 4 self-driving technology more widely available. By testing in diverse global environments, the company is working to ensure the robustness and adaptability of its AI-powered autonomous driving systems for real-world deployment.
The details
TIER IV's new software stacks for Level 4 autonomous driving leverage data-centric AI, including diffusion models and end-to-end learning approaches, to expand the operational design domains of self-driving systems. The company's MLOps platform handles data curation, anonymization, and synthetic data generation to continuously improve AI model performance. TIER IV is collaborating with universities in Tokyo, Pittsburgh, and Munich to test its Level 4 autonomous driving features using different vehicle platforms in urban environments.
- The new software stacks were released in March 2026.
- Testing of Level 4 autonomous driving features is underway in Tokyo, Pittsburgh, and Munich.
The players
TIER IV
A pioneering company developing open-source software for autonomous driving, including the Autoware platform.
Shinpei Kato
The founder and CEO of TIER IV.
Yang Zhang
The chairman of the Autoware Foundation's board of directors.
Yutaka Matsuo
A professor at the University of Tokyo's Graduate School of Engineering.
Raj Rajkumar
The George Westinghouse Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University.
Johannes Betz
A Professor of Autonomous Vehicle Systems at the Technical University of Munich.
What they’re saying
“To achieve Level 4+ autonomy, we need technology that evolves autonomously alongside the environments it serves. Our new data-centric AI models and collaborative MLOps platform provide a common language and a shared foundation for the entire industry.”
— Shinpei Kato, Founder and CEO of TIER IV
“Autoware serves as the global foundation where researchers, corporations and developers collaborate to advance autonomous driving software. Our collaboration with TIER IV strengthens the international framework for validating and refining E2E autonomous driving through real-world deployment.”
— Yang Zhang, Chairman of the Autoware Foundation's board of directors
“The release of these software stacks and MLOps platform is a vital step toward deploying advanced AI models in industrial applications. By accumulating data from Japan's distinctive traffic environments through our Tokyo testing and contributing those insights back to Autoware, we aim to further bridge the gap between academic research and real-world deployment.”
— Yutaka Matsuo, Professor at the University of Tokyo, Graduate School of Engineering
“Autoware is a foundational technology for shaping the Level 4+ autonomy concept. Our Pittsburgh testing will validate the effectiveness of this technology under unique urban traffic conditions. It is essential for the global advancement of autonomous driving that academia and industry continue to collaborate and share results through the Autoware ecosystem.”
— Raj Rajkumar, George Westinghouse Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University
“This initiative provides a valuable opportunity to evaluate technologies at the Level 4 autonomous driving standard within European urban environments and verify their effectiveness from multiple perspectives. We expect that this framework—improving AI models using region-specific datasets through Autoware-based collaboration—will significantly contribute to the development of highly practical autonomous technology.”
— Johannes Betz, Professor of Autonomous Vehicle Systems at the Technical University of Munich
What’s next
The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.
The takeaway
TIER IV's work on advancing open-source autonomous driving software through Autoware is a significant step towards making Level 4 self-driving technology more widely available. By testing in diverse global environments, the company is working to ensure the robustness and adaptability of its AI-powered autonomous driving systems for real-world deployment.
