"After working late, I relieve stress by singing songs inside the robo-taxi. There's no need to worry about the driver's reaction, and the interior is clean, so I use it often."

On the 3rd, Han Chunyang, an office worker met in the Yizhuang Economic and Technological Development Zone in Beijing, cited the "private entertainment space" as the biggest advantage of robo-taxis (fully autonomous taxis). For Han, who often works overtime, robo-taxis are more than just a means of transportation-they serve as a "mobile karaoke" to relieve stress after work.

In fact, the robo-taxis from Pony AI and Baidu are introducing a variety of AI features targeting younger users. Passengers can request, via voice command, to play music, activating karaoke mode on the in-car screen. Some vehicles even come equipped with amenities usually found only in higher-end models, such as massage functions and heated seats, maximizing passenger comfort.

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Thanks to these services, usage among young people in China is rapidly increasing. During this year's Lunar New Year holiday, each Pony AI robo-taxi averaged 26 calls per day, demonstrating even economic viability.

This transformation is easy to observe on the streets of downtown Beijing. On a narrow, two-lane road, a vehicle parked on the shoulder suddenly merged into traffic without signaling. The car behind honked briefly. But there was no one in the driver's seat. Looking around, one of every five vehicles on the road had an empty driver's seat. It was a robo-taxi driving itself without a human driver.

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China is accelerating the commercialization of robo-taxis. In 17 cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Wuhan, and Shenzhen, thousands of robo-taxis are transporting passengers with no human driver. Chinese robo-taxis are already considered to have surpassed average human driving abilities. Now, the industry's focus has shifted from "technological competition" to "business model competition." The new goal is to see who can provide the most stable and profitable service.

In the Yizhuang Economic and Technological Development Zone, I tried out robo-taxis operated by three companies: Baidu (Apollo Go), Pony AI, and WeRide. In Beijing, robo-taxis are being piloted over an area of about 225 square kilometers in this development zone, which is a hub for advanced industries such as IT, new energy, biotech, robotics, and smart manufacturing.

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The process for using a robo-taxi was simpler than expected. Just like using a taxi app in Korea, you enter your starting point and destination in each service's app to request a ride. However, some services require a local mobile phone number to sign up, so foreigners may face restrictions.

I first called a WeRide robo-taxi. You can choose between a multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) or a sport utility vehicle (SUV). On this day, I selected an MPV. About five minutes later, a black MPV approached slowly with its hazard lights on. While the roof was equipped with LiDAR and various sensor equipment, its appearance was otherwise not very different from a regular car.

On the side of the vehicle, there was a keypad for entering a call number. Upon entering the number, the door opened automatically. The interior was also similar to that of a conventional taxi. The center console featured a touchscreen for rear-seat passengers to operate, and the driver's seat was covered with a plastic shield to prevent passengers from manipulating it. After entering my mobile phone number on the screen and pressing the "close door" button, the door closed automatically. Then, a prompt appeared to fasten my seatbelt, and after buckling up, the message "Departing now" was announced as the vehicle slowly started moving.

After traveling about 6 km to my destination, my impression was that it was even safer than a human driver. The robo-taxi always used turn signals when changing lanes and never exceeded the speed limit. There were no blind spots, which are common with human drivers. Even during unprotected left turns, the vehicle simultaneously recognized oncoming cars, trailing vehicles, and those in merging lanes, navigating intersections smoothly and safely.

While acceleration, deceleration, and steering sometimes felt a bit mechanical, it was never uncomfortable for the passenger.

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All three companies' robo-taxis tested that day demonstrated stable driving performance. Traveling 5 km cost about 3,000 won, slightly cheaper than a regular taxi. However, there were differences in the AI features installed in the vehicles. The main difference was in communication capabilities between the passenger and the vehicle.

With Pony AI and Baidu's robo-taxis, passengers could converse with the AI via voice commands. For example, saying, "Nihao Popo, I'm feeling down today" in a Pony AI vehicle prompted the AI to immediately respond, "Shall I play a song for you?"

It was also possible to open windows or operate the air conditioner and heated seats using voice commands. Some vehicles were even equipped with massage functions usually found in luxury cars. Notably, there was a feature that recognized passenger positions. When I requested to turn on the heated seat, the in-car screen displayed, "Activating heated seat for the left passenger in the back seat." The AI identified the location of the voice to distinguish between seats.

Pony AI Driving Video. Beijing, China - Photo by Seungjin Lee

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There were also differences in responses to unexpected situations. If a vehicle in the adjacent lane cut in abruptly or a pedestrian suddenly darted onto the road, the Pony AI and Baidu vehicles did more than just slow down. When necessary, they sounded the horn themselves to alert surrounding vehicles of their presence.

Despite the high level of technological sophistication, there were some limitations. The first inconvenience encountered was the restriction on pick-up locations. Although I called the vehicle in front of a hotel lobby, the area was not recognized as an official road, so the call did not go through. In the end, I had to walk about 100 meters out to a main road outside the hotel grounds.

Additionally, if you do not board the robo-taxi within three minutes of its arrival, it leaves the spot to avoid disrupting traffic flow. While a human driver could call or send a message to explain the situation, the robo-taxi cannot do so. The vehicle simply circled the block and returned to the pick-up point.

Above all, the main variable was human drivers. While the robo-taxi was making a left turn, the car ahead suddenly stopped in the middle of the road. The robo-taxi also stopped. The signal had already changed, so the vehicle was stuck in the middle of the intersection and had to wait for the next signal. If a human had been driving, they would have switched to the adjacent lane to get through.

There was, however, an interesting scene. When surrounding drivers realized that the car stopped in the middle of the intersection was a robo-taxi, instead of honking, they quietly maneuvered around it and passed by.

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Mr. Liu, who lives in the Yizhuang area and has used all three companies' robo-taxis, said, "Robo-taxis strictly adhere to the speed limit, so I don't use them when I'm in a hurry," but added, "I choose robo-taxis when traveling with my child because they are safe."

However, he also pointed out that in order to facilitate widespread commercialization, it is necessary to lower the price to improve accessibility. Additionally, there is still no social consensus on robo-taxis replacing jobs, which remains a hurdle.

A taxi driver who requested anonymity said, "Right now, the prices are similar, and since robo-taxis drive more slowly than people, taxi drivers don't feel greatly threatened," but added, "However, if the number of robo-taxis increases and prices drop significantly, it will become a serious issue."