Baidu, Chery launch electric car with face-scanning payment, AR navigation features

Baidu, China’s largest internet search services provider and a national champion in artificial intelligence, has jointly launched with Chery Automobile its first production-model electric vehicle built with an AI operating system, escalating efforts by domestic car manufacturers to embed more advanced technologies into their products.

A new version of the Exeed TX, an electric sports utility vehicle that Chery first sold in China last year, will have Baidu’s DuerOS, an AI platform that supports face-scanning payment, augmented reality navigation and remote control of home appliances among other features, according to a WeChat post by Baidu on Monday.

The DuerOS would provide a more customised user experience, including specific driver greetings as well as automatic adjustments to seats and lighting, the company said.

The smart Exeed TX, part of Chery’s initiative to attract younger consumers, is expected to hit the domestic market next month, according to the state-owned carmaker.

Chery did not immediately respond to text inquiries about the potential opportunity to export DuerOS-equipped Exceed TX units.

Nasdaq-listed Baidu, which started its AI investments about seven years ago, has been stepping up its efforts to bring AI into cars, homes and enterprises in China. Its main AI products are open-source autonomous driving platform Apollo, DuerOS and the ABC-Stack hybrid cloud platform for deploying AI into businesses.