4 Asian Legal Business | December 2024 Briefs Autonomous driving hits the fast lane amid tech advances and legal challenges “自动驾驶元年”,技术、融资、监管 并道发展 The year 2024 has been a watershed for autonomous vehicles. In July, Baidu’s Apollo Go began large-scale deployment of driverless cars in cities like Wuhan, sparking widespread public debate. By October, Tesla launched its Cybercab, a fully autonomous taxi, thrusting self-driving technology into the global spotlight. By the end of August, China had • Autonomous driving integrates into daily life and sees a surge in IPOs. 2024年自动驾驶产业加速融合日常生活,迎来IPO热潮 • Legal challenges remain in licensing, data use, and liability for accidents. 产业仍面临准入、数据、事故归责等多重法律挑战 issued 16,000 autonomous vehicle test licenses and opened 32,000 kilometers of public testing roads, signaling rapid integration of autonomous driving into everyday life. Meanwhile, as commercialization ramps up, China’s autonomous driving sector has seen a flurry of financing activity in 2024. Following the stock CHINA TECH COLUMN market debuts of Hesai Technology and Zhixing Technology, August saw Black Sesame Technologies—the “first autonomous driving chip stock”— listed in Hong Kong. In October, Horizon Robotics completed the largest tech IPO of the year on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, while WeRide became the “first global general autonomous driving stock” with its Nasdaq listing. According to Raymond Wang, a partner at Shihui Partners, the autonomous driving industry is divided among internet giants, emerging automakers, and autonomous driving startups, with traditional automakers playing catch-up. “Each segment is fragmenting, with clear frontrunners emerging. A fierce elimination race is ahead,” says Wang. He notes that Tesla’s pioneering endto-end autonomous driving technology is reshaping the industry, prompting domestic companies to follow suit and potentially triggering a shakeout. Wang explains that traditional rulebased solutions used by major autonomous driving companies rely on vehicle sensors and high-definition maps to create a static and dynamic representation of the external environment, which guides decision-making and vehicle control. However, these systems are complex, costly, and computationally intensive. “End-to-end systems operate like generative AI, responding directly to realworld contexts. However, they also pose challenges, such as ‘black box’ issues and difficulties in assigning liability, which will require legal frameworks to adapt alongside technological advancements,” Wang adds. The promise of autonomous driving is as transformative as it is complex. Yet, its journey to widespread adoption comes with significant regulatory and legal challenges, particularly in ensuring public safety and addressing accountability. China has made significant progress in legislating for autonomous driving, covering areas such as industry development, road testing, traffic safety, data security, product approvals, and high-definition mapping. “A substanBy Hu Yangxiaoxiao 作者:胡阳潇潇
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