Recently, an autonomous robotaxi "Apollo", developed by Chinese tech giant Baidu and introduced in Wuhan, China, has been attracting significant attention. This event provides us with an opportunity to deeply consider how AI technology is influencing the global transportation industry and daily life.
In today's rapidly evolving technological landscape, AI is constantly and quietly transforming our daily lives. In the field of mobility, the emergence of autonomous driving systems and smart dispatching systems represents the latest development trends in smart mobility. The core of these systems lies not only in achieving autonomous driving for individual vehicles but also in combining advanced AI dispatching algorithms to analyze massive historical data, predict traffic flow and passenger demand, while integrating real-time GPS and traffic signal information to realize the intelligence of the entire transportation network. Simultaneously, the distributed architecture of smart dispatching systems ensures efficient operation in large-scale vehicle scheduling.
Currently, technology companies, traditional automobile manufacturers, and even traffic management departments in many countries are actively investing in research and development and promoting technological advancements in fields such as autonomous driving, smart dispatching systems, and vehicle-to-vehicle communication. These technologies not only satisfy the intelligence of individual vehicles but also involve the intelligence of the entire transportation network. This is what we often refer to as: "We need not only smart cars but also smart roads."
However, technological progress is inevitably accompanied by a process of social adaptation. Around the world, the promotion of smart transportation systems faces similar challenges. It is understandable that traditional practitioners feel anxious about the occupational changes brought by new technologies. The improvement in precision, safety, and efficiency of autonomous driving technology may imply adjustments in industry structure, which is an issue we need to seriously consider when promoting technological innovation.
From a social ethics perspective, we need to consider how to focus on workers' rights while using new technologies to pursue efficiency. On this point, we, who have been deeply involved in the industrial and transportation fields for many years, strongly agree. We should not view caution towards new technologies as a negative thing. This does not mean that traditional practitioners should hinder technological progress, but rather seek a balance. We can discuss many solutions, such as considering the gradual implementation of new systems, giving traditional practitioners time to adapt and transform. At the same time, providing training on using new systems for traditional practitioners is also considered an effective approach.
Looking to the future, AI technologies exemplified by autonomous driving technology will continue to reshape all traditional industries globally. Our responsibility is not only to promote innovation but also to anticipate early the potential social impacts of technological applications. In designing and implementing new technologies, we need to incorporate ethical considerations to ensure that AI technology can serve broader social interests.
Such cases may become increasingly common in the future. They remind us that technological innovation does not occur in a vacuum but is closely related to social, economic, and cultural environments. We need to view innovation from a more comprehensive perspective, paying attention to its impact on social life while promoting technological progress, and seeking a balance point between technological development and social progress. Only in this way can we ensure that technological innovation truly benefits global society and promotes the progress of human civilization. In this rapidly changing era, each of us has the responsibility to participate in this important dialogue about technology and society.