Baidu to launch self-driving buses next year

Baidu has placed all its bets on artificial intelligence, and Robin Li has emphasized more than once that "Baidu is a technology company." Now this technology company has brought out its latest plan.

Baidu CEO Robin Li discussed how to win the artificial intelligence (AI) war while attending the WSJ.D Live conference and revealed that Baidu plans to launch fully autonomous buses in China next year, The Wall Street Journal reported.

He said the company is on track to become a major player in the self-driving car space with the help of Apollo, an open-source self-driving car platform released earlier this year.

Currently, Baidu is working with Beijing Automotive Company to mass-produce semi-autonomous driving cars based on the Apollo platform in 2019 and fully autonomous driving cars in 2021.

Baidu also hopes its open-source platform will further attract automakers that are reluctant to work with Waymo, the self-driving unit of Google parent Alphabet, which is developing a fully autonomous bus that will travel on a predetermined route next year.

Li Yanhong pitched the Apollo platform to automakers, saying it would give them greater control over data and user experience compared to the closed systems of companies like Waymo.

Although Baidu is unlikely to generate revenue from an open source platform like Apollo, Li Yanhong said there are many other business opportunities, including selling data, simulation systems, high-definition maps, and even selling insurance policies.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.