China’s auto industry is rapidly embracing AI foundation models, driving an era of intelligent vehicles.
At the 2023 World Intelligent Connected Vehicles Conference (WICVC) in Beijing, Xin Guobin, Vice Minister of Industry and Information Technology, revealed that Level 2 autonomous driving, encompassing driver assistance, accounted for 42.4 percent of all passenger car sales in China during the first half of 2023.
While early autonomous driving relied heavily on sensors and deep learning algorithms, Han Zhao, Director of the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, pointed out issues like map reliance and high costs. However, 2023 saw a shift towards end-to-end AI models with the rise of generative artificial intelligence technology.
Chinese automakers are using these models to tackle autonomous driving challenges, leveraging data infusion for model growth and enhanced algorithms.
Experts anticipate broader use of general artificial intelligence in the automotive industry, particularly in autonomous driving and intelligent cockpit systems.
Li Zhenyu, Vice-President of Baidu, noted that truly unmanned driving became feasible in China’s complex urban areas. Baidu’s “Apollo Go” unmanned vehicle fleet expanded significantly, providing over 3.3 million services to the public by June 30, 2023.
Algorithms, computing power, and data underpin the integration of AI foundation models, with Chinese automakers increasing investments in intelligent networked technology.
Xpeng’s high-speed Navigation Guided Pilot (NGP) accumulated 31.6 million kilometers and achieved an 84.32 percent user penetration rate by July 2023.
China’s intelligent connected automobile industry has made remarkable strides, with technological innovation, mass-produced intelligent driving systems, and infrastructure development accelerating.
WICVC data shows over 20,000 kilometers of intelligent connected vehicle test roads in China, totaling more than 70 million kilometers in test mileage, with various autonomous applications progressing in multiple scenarios.
