So, Xpeng's suddenly jumping into the robotaxi game? Give me a break. Just last year, their co-president Brian Gu was all, "Nah, robotaxis ain't a real business for, like, five years." Now, he's singing a different tune? What changed, besides the direction of the wind?
Oh, right, "AI developments" and a "significant increase in computing power." That's the PR-speak translation for "We saw Tesla doing it, and FOMO kicked in." It's the same old story: Chinese EV companies trying to be the next Tesla, except they're always, always playing catch-up. Are we really supposed to believe this "Turing" AI chip is some kind of game-changer? 3,000 TOPS? Okay, cool. What does that actually mean for the average person trying to get from point A to point B without getting smeared across the pavement by a rogue self-driving car? I mean, seriously.
And Alibaba's in on it, too? Partnering with Xpeng through AutoNavi and Amaps? Great. More data collection, more targeted ads, more ways for corporations to track our every move. It's like we're all lab rats in some giant, dystopian experiment. The robotaxi even has "an external display of speed and other information on the vehicle's sun visors." Who asked for that? Is that supposed to make me more comfortable with a driverless car careening down the street?
Gu claims they're "near the inflection point" for robotaxis. Inflection point? That sounds like something out of a marketing seminar. Let's be real: the only thing "inflecting" here is the level of hype. According to Chinese EV maker Xpeng to launch robotaxis, humanoid robots with self-developed AI chips, Xpeng is indeed planning to launch robotaxis.
Xpeng's planning two categories of robotaxis: one for commercial shared vehicles, and another for "fully autonomous personal cars that may be only shared among family members." So, basically, they're admitting that true, widespread robotaxis are still a pipe dream. Why else would they be hedging their bets with this "family sharing" nonsense? Are they picturing some idyllic future where the Hu family shares their self-driving car every other Tuesday? Sounds more like a recipe for passive-aggressive arguments about who gets to use the car to pick up Auntie Mei from mahjong night.
I wonder if they've even thought about the logistics of this. What happens when the robotaxi breaks down in the middle of rush hour? Who's responsible when it inevitably causes an accident? And what about the ethical implications? Who gets to program the car's moral compass? Does it prioritize the lives of its passengers over pedestrians? Or does it just swerve into the nearest group of cyclists to avoid scratching the paint job? These are the questions nobody seems to be asking.
You know what else? I bet the software has a ton of bugs! It's always something...
Oh, and let's not forget the humanoid robot they trotted out at their "AI Day." Because, of course, every self-respecting tech company needs a creepy, uncanny valley robot to show off. It's like they're trying to distract us from the real issues with shiny toys and empty promises.
Honestly, I'm starting to think these companies are just throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks. Robotaxis, humanoid robots, self-developed AI chips... It's all just a big, expensive game of corporate bingo. And we, the consumers, are the ones paying the price.
