As robotaxis hit China streets, drivers fear they’re out of work

STORY: China is speeding ahead of other countries in letting robotaxis take to the streets.

The autonomous cabs are now a common sight in the central city of Wuhan.

Run by tech giant Baidu, they don’t have any human drivers, although a service assistant can always be contacted.

All that puts China not only at the cutting edge of technology, but also social change.

Taxi drivers Reuters spoke to, but weren’t allowed to film, said the robots had taken a big share of short-distance trips, and were hitting their incomes.

With Baidu planning to expand to 100 cities by 2030, that has cab drivers across the country worried.

In Beijing, Xun Tianchen at the Economist Intelligence Unit says officials will be watching very carefully:

“The government will increase its intervention in the markets by, for example, limiting the quotas of robotaxis on the roads, for example. And it probably will also be stepping up its support for the employment of those drivers that could be losing their jobs.”

It’s not just taxi drivers that are worried.

Robots are also taking over as driving instructors.

At this driving school near the capital they started automating instruction in 2019.

Most students now opt for robot teachers, and pass rates are said to have risen.

Manager Zhang Yang says the school already needs fewer instructors as a result:

“Regarding labor costs, there are definitely savings. With our current training model, students learn independently of instructors, which also elevates the ability of students to learn on their own. During training, instructors play a supporting role, while our AI system in the car gives key training and operation pointers. So the instructors assist students in their learning. This significantly reduces the ratio of instructors needed.”

In June, China gave nine automakers approval to test advanced driverless systems on public roads.

Then, last month, it published draft regulations for their use in public transportation and ride hailing.

With a slew of local testing projects now under way, the rise of the robots looks very unlikely to stop.