Chinese AI giant Baidu ups the ante on autonomous driving, plans to launch its first car with level 4 automation next year

The Chinese AI giant’s electric vehicle being developed by its carmaking arm, Jidu Automotive, will have level 4 autonomous driving capability

The as yet unnamed model will be unveiled at the Beijing car show in April

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Baidu co-founder and CEO Robin Li has touted the advanced technology of its upcoming car. Photo: AFP

Published: 8:10pm, 6 Jan 2022

Baidu is looking to race ahead of its rivals in autonomous driving, announcing that its first production model, powered by Nvidia chips, will have a high level of automation and deliveries will start next year.

The Chinese search engine and artificial intelligence firm said on Thursday that the electric vehicle (EV) being developed by its carmaking arm, Jidu Automotive, will have level 4 (L4) autonomous driving capability, which means these cars do not require human interaction in most circumstances.

Analysts said that Baidu’s announcement was meant to signal to Chinese drivers that its vehicles will probably be the most advanced among all smart cars on the mainland next year.

“The Jidu vehicle has been designed to operate under the concepts of free movement, natural communication, and self-improvement,” Robin Li, Baidu’s co-founder and chief executive, said in a statement. “Human-car interaction and accurate identification of speech semantics enable the car to communicate naturally.”

A spy photo of Jidu Auto’s first vehicle under development. Photo: Handout

Baidu is the first Chinese company showing an intention to launch a mass production car with L4 automation.

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