Thursday, July 21, 2022
Yes, But...
Baidu, the Chinese auto manufacturer, has just released a robotaxi that makes a steering wheel optional. It plans to start service in the second half of next year. The idea sounds good but there is no indication Baidu has overcome the difficulties of responding to out-of-ordinary events on the open road. This is the hangup that has slowed Waymo and Tesla among others. Tesla in particular has had dozens of crashes as the result of people using its hands-free software and sensors. Waymo has not taken off as it irons out anomalies that confuse its vehicles. Roboautos are an idea that has not come yet -- and might never. Artificial intelligence is not powerful enough to distinguish everyday driving challenges that humans negotiate easily. Baidu is about to find that out. It looks like a publicity move by the Chinese company and not a reality.
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