Kai-Fu Li Envisions AI in 2041; Baidu Unveils Autonomous Truck; Shenzhen Robotaxi Startup Raises $300M Led by Alibaba

China’s AI news in the week of September 19, 2021

Kai-Fu Lee Debuts New Book to Envision AI-Powered World in 2041

A new book co-written by former Google China Chief and Sinovation Ventures CEO Kai-Fu Lee and Chinese fiction novelist Chen Qiufan created a splash this week. The book, dubbed AI in 2041, depicted a world 20 years later that co-evolves with AI in ten short fictional stories.

One selling point of the book lays in the combinations of Dr. Lee’s tech know-hows and Chen’s sci-fi imagination. For example, in one story wrote a Nigerian video producer named Amaka is hired to make an undetectable deepfake otherwise threatened to expose a fake video of Amaka kissing another boy in a country where homosexual marriage is prohibited.

The book reflects on both benefits and harms of AI. The technology, fueled by advanced algorithms and a massive amount of data and compute, promises to extend humans’ lifespan and free humans from labor stresses. However, AI-enabled autonomous weaponry like killer robots and drones lowers the threshold of warfare.

The book receives endorsements from a lineup of high-profile entrepreneurs and scientists. Says Satya Nadella, Microsoft Chair, and CEO, “Kai-Fu Lee and Chen Qiufan bring to life a vision for AI that addresses both our curiosity and our fears.”

Available on Amazon, Google PlayBook, and Kindle Store at $13.99 and $25.49 for hardcover, the book has received mixed reviews thus far. Some readers didn’t appreciate the novel format, “it is well-written, but the format may disappoint both those primarily interested in science fiction and those who want a non-fiction book about artificial intelligence.”

In addition, Dr. Lee also made a few predictions for the future of AI:

• Prediction #1: Human lifespan will grow by as much as twenty years thanks to AI-enhanced drug discovery, medicine tailored to each individual, and surgery performed by medical robots and nanobots.

• Prediction #2: ​​By 2041, Ubiquitous household robots will free us from mundane tasks like cleaning and deliveries.

• Prediction 3: In the next two decades, virtual meetings will feel the same as real meetings via VR/AR.

• Prediction #4: AI will learn to serve human needs (such as happiness or growth), rather than simply optimizing business metrics (potentially at humans’ expense).

• Prediction #5: The cost of energy and materials will all plummet, while much labor will be replaced by robots, making most things nearly free, and requiring a new economic model.

• Prediction 6: Autonomous vehicles will become pervasive in the most advanced cities, connected to “smart cities” infrastructure that regulates transit and improves safety.

• Prediction 7: AI teachers will provide individualized learning for most children that surpasses current instruction (lowering the cost of basic education for poorer regions), freeing human teachers to focus on mentoring students and instilling empathy and critical thinking.

Baidu’s joint venture introduces smart electric truck for autonomous freight

Autonomous truck is winning favors of investors and capital in both U.S. and China with its promising near term commercialization. A prime example, TuSimple claims its AI truck drivers can significantly reduce operational costs by driving on highly repeatable, structured routes. Even robotaxi companies like Waymo and Pony.ai have doubled down on autonomous trucks to expand their portfolios.

Last December, Chinese leading autonomous driving player Baidu announced its joint venture with logistics giant Lionbridge Logistics, DeepWay, marking a move into the trillion-dollar freight market. This week, DeepWay unveiled its first product, Xingtu, a “smart new energy heavy-duty truck” that can see up to 1,000 meters with a computing power of 500 TOPS. The first-gen Xingtu will first enable Level 3 (SAE) self-driving on highways and Level 4 autonomous driving in the next 3-5 years.

Lionbridge and DeepWay CEO Jun Wan will incorporate a so-called “hub-to-hub” mode - a growing trend in the truck industry that allows truckers to drive shorter distances - into its business operation. Its Xingtu autonomous truck will take loads from a human-driving truck that starts out at a port, drive a few hundred miles to another transfer location, and trade loads with another human-driving truck that will arrive at the destination. With that, autonomous trucks can operate in a more limited and controllable scenario while spending less time waiting for loads at docks.

Here are more details about Xingtu:

• Unlike other LiDAR-powered trucks, Xingtu relies on a sensor system of 10 onboard cameras, 5 millimeter-wave radars, and 3 infrared detectors to detect up to 1,000 meters.

• At a full load of 49 tons, Xingtu's custom-developed 450kWh battery pack can travel up to 300km on a single charge, and swap out their battery in 6 minutes.

• Xingtu features an intelligent voice assistant, a large touch screen infotainment system, and ultra-comfortable seats and beds.

DeepWay plans to manufacture Xingtu on a small scale by 2022 and mass-produce the truck in June 2023.

Shenzhen-Based DeepRoute.ai Raises $300 Million Led by Alibaba

DeepRoute.ai, a Shenzhen-based autonomous driving company, has recently raised $300 million in its Series B funding round. The largest investment in the global autonomous driving industry in the second half of 2021, DeepRoute.ai’s Series B fundraising is led by Alibaba.

DeepRoute.ai CEO Zhou Guang was the co-founder and chief scientist of RoadStar, the once autonomous driving upstart that raised $128 million in 2018 but quickly fell over a series of wrongdoings in the following year. Zhou, dismissed by RoadStar before it went bankrupt, founded DeepRoute.ai as a consultant aiming to provide the safest, smartest, and most reliable Level 4 full-stack self-driving solutions.

DeepRoute.ai now operates robotaxis, which was co-developed with Chinese OEM giant Dongfeng Motor, in Shenzhen, Wuhan, and Hangzhou. The company plans to expand a fleet of robotaxis to 150 by 2021, trailing only Baidu, Pony.ai and WeRide. Its autonomous driving technology also empowers run light-duty trucks for city-wide logistics, which probably appeals to Alibaba, the Chinese e-commerce giant with huge freight demand.

The company’s sensing solution, DeepRoute-Sense, includes a slim vehicle roof box and an advanced sensor fusion calibration service. The box encompasses 8 cameras, 3 LiDARs, GNSS, among other sensors, and the corresponding telecommunication and data synchronization controllers.

Investment News:

• Keenon Robotics, a Shanghai-based AI company developing indoor intelligent service robot, has raised $200 million in its Series D funding round led by SoftBank’s Vision Fund, followed by Prosperity7 Ventures and CICC ALPHA. Founded in 2010, Keenon Robotics specializes in commercial-grade indoor positioning and navigation systems for various types of guiding and delivery robots in hotels and hospitals.

• Zhongan Technology, a technology venture founded ZhongAn Online, has raised RMB 2 billion yuan from its parent company. The company aims at providing technical solutions to the insurance industry in Southeast Asia, Japan, and Europe.

• SynSense, a neuromorphic computing company, has raised almost RMB 200 million in its Series Pre-B funding round. Founded in 2017 in Zürich as a spin-off of the Institute of Neuroinformatics at the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, SynSense develops applications of neuromorphic processing in IoT, medical signal analysis, and other fields. The company moves its headquarter to China in 2020.