As thousands of robo-taxis begin to populate the streets of China, taxi drivers and those in the ride-hailing industry are increasingly concerned about their job security. Major Chinese companies are aggressively pushing for more approvals from the government to expand the number of autonomous vehicles, sparking widespread anxiety among the country’s 7 million registered ride-hailing drivers. This represents a significant increase from the 4.4 million drivers recorded just two years ago.
Industry experts and economists have warned that taxi drivers are among the first workers globally who face the threat of job loss due to the advancements in artificial intelligence (AI). The fear of losing their livelihoods has driven discussions on social media, with hashtags like “Driverless cars are stealing taxi drivers’ livelihoods” trending in July. Drivers are also complaining that these autonomous vehicles contribute to traffic congestion.
Currently, at least 19 Chinese cities are conducting tests with robo-taxis and autonomous buses, according to Reuters. Seven of these cities have approved driverless tests for at least five major industry players: Apollo Go, Pony.ai, WeRide, AutoX, and SAIC Motor.
Apollo Go has announced plans to deploy a thousand autonomous vehicles in Wuhan by the end of the year, with an ambitious goal to operate in 100 cities by 2030. Pony.ai, backed by Japan's Toyota, operates 300 robo-taxis and aims to increase this number by an additional thousand by 2026. WeRide is known for its range of autonomous vehicles, including taxis, vans, buses, and street sweepers. AutoX, supported by e-commerce giant Alibaba Group, operates in major cities like Beijing and Shanghai, while SAIC has been operating robo-taxis since the end of 2021.
Despite the experimental nature of autonomous driving technology and the accompanying road safety concerns, China has been aggressively approving tests for new autonomous vehicles to support its economic goals. In contrast, the United States remains cautious, investigating and quickly suspending approvals following accidents involving such vehicles. Alphabet's Waymo is the only American company currently operating robo-taxis, with over a thousand vehicles in cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Phoenix.
As the debate over the impact of robo-taxis intensifies, the future of millions of drivers and the safety of the roads remain critical issues that need to be addressed. The question now is whether the benefits of autonomous technology can outweigh the potential risks to jobs and safety.
Source: Reuters
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