SHIZUOKA - Automotive equipment maker Yazaki Corp. has opened a research and development hub in Susono, Shizuoka Prefecture, using advanced "physical AI" technology as it seeks to create factories where people and artificial intelligence work alongside one another. The facility, named Innovation Hub - REN, is designed to explore new forms of manufacturing through physical AI, a technology that enables artificial intelligence to understand conditions in the real world and autonomously control robots. "The smart factory Yazaki is aiming for is not, at least at this stage, one in which AI completely replaces manufacturing," Saito said. "We are seeking a factory where AI coexists with manufacturing and where people and AI coexist." The new hub will pursue manufacturing technologies that preserve the craftsmanship passed down through generations while using AI to open the way to a new era of production.