Science fiction and venture capitalists around the world have promised the world self-driving cars for ages. Uber and Baidu have announced a partnership that might make that happen in “multiple global markets” outside of the US and China.
Chinese companies have leaned hard into the notion that your car might one day drive itself, but Uber and Baidu’s team-up could well put wheels on tarmac. Whether those wheels venture out on South African roads in the near future isn’t certain.
Uber robots
Since the plan involves putting loads of Baidu’s Apollo Go self-driving cars, EV taxis already on the road in parts of China, into other countries, it’s unlikely at first. Unnamed Asian and Middle Eastern countries are first on the list for the company’s self-driving tech, with Uber providing the summoning system for intrepid passengers.
From there, rollout plans are a little murkier. Given that, in South Africa, road markings are typically unclear, roads are in poor repair, and human drivers are generally lawless (some more than others), releasing AI-powered rides on our streets might be a recipe for disaster instead of the impressive experience they could be. Still, we can always hope we end up on the list. Some day.
Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said, “This partnership brings together two of the world’s most iconic technology companies to help shape the future of mobility.”
Baidu chairman and CEO Robin Li added, “We are committed to bringing the benefit of autonomous driving technology to more people in more markets, and this partnership with Uber represents a major milestone in deploying our technology on a global scale.”
