Beijing, March 29, 2024 – In a bold statement at today’s China EV100 Forum, Yu Kai, founder and CEO of leading Chinese AI chipmaker Horizon Robotics, asserted that the vast majority of human driving behavior is detrimental to the development of truly autonomous vehicles. Yu’s comments highlight a growing debate within the autonomous driving industry: Should AI systems mimic human driving, or strive for a higher, more efficient standard?
Yu argued that achieving human-level performance in AI is insufficient. The AI era is about approaching the truth of the world. Reaching human level is not good enough; surpassing human level is what we must pursue, he stated. He believes that 99.99% of human drivers exhibit bad habits that should not be replicated in autonomous driving systems.
This perspective challenges the conventional approach of training AI models on vast datasets of human driving data. While such data is readily available, Yu suggests it may be hindering progress towards safer and more efficient autonomous driving.
[Image of Volkswagen test vehicle equipped with Horizon Robotics autonomous driving solution]
Yu emphasized that the focus should be on pushing technological boundaries rather than simply chasing traffic. He outlined a roadmap for Horizon Robotics’ autonomous driving technology, predicting the achievement of Level 3 autonomy (conditional automation) in the near future, followed by hands-off driving within three years and eyes-off driving within five.
He also cautioned against the potential pitfalls of fully autonomous driving. If, after achieving autonomous driving, users still choose to use their phones, it would be a tragedy for all car manufacturers, Yu said. He urged automakers to focus on transforming the car into a new intelligent space that caters to the content consumption needs of users in the autonomous driving era.
In addition to his remarks on autonomous driving philosophy, Yu announced that Horizon Robotics’ Journey 6P chip has been successfully returned from fabrication and has completed real-vehicle validation within 100 hours. He also revealed that Horizon’s high-level autonomous driving solution, SuperDrive (HSD), is slated for mass production and deployment in vehicles in the third quarter of 2025.
Yu’s comments spark an important conversation about the future of autonomous driving. As the industry matures, a critical evaluation of the role of human driving data in AI training is essential to unlock the full potential of autonomous vehicles and create a safer, more efficient transportation system.
Conclusion
Yu Kai’s perspective on the limitations of human driving behavior in the context of autonomous vehicle development offers a compelling challenge to the status quo. His emphasis on exceeding human capabilities and creating a more engaging in-car experience highlights the potential for AI to revolutionize transportation beyond simply replicating human actions. The successful validation of the Journey 6P chip and the upcoming launch of SuperDrive (HSD) demonstrate Horizon Robotics’ commitment to pushing the boundaries of autonomous driving technology. The industry will be watching closely to see if Yu’s vision of a superior, AI-driven driving experience comes to fruition.
References
- IT之家. (2024, March 29). 地平线创始人余凯：99.99% 人类司机驾驶行为不值得学习，有很多“坏毛病”. [Horizon Robotics Founder Yu Kai: 99.99% of Human Driving Behavior is Not Worth Learning, There are Many Bad Habits]. Retrieved from [Insert Original Article URL Here – Since I don’t have access to the live internet, I’m leaving this placeholder]
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