
-
PSG eye becoming France's first 'Invincibles'
-
Late birdie burst lifts Ryder to Texas Open lead
-
Five potential Grand National fairytale endings
-
Trump purges national security team after meeting conspiracist
-
More work for McIlroy even with two wins before Masters
-
Trump hopeful of 'great' PGA-LIV golf merger
-
No.1 Scheffler goes for third Masters crown in four years
-
Where Trump's tariffs could hurt Americans' wallets
-
Trump says 'very close to a deal' on TikTok
-
Trump tariffs on Mexico: the good, the bad, the unknown
-
Postecoglou denies taunting Spurs fans in Chelsea defeat
-
Oscar-winning Palestinian director speaks at UN on Israeli settlements
-
With tariff war, Trump also reshapes how US treats allies
-
Fernandez fires Chelsea into fourth as pressure mounts on Postecoglou
-
South Korea court to decide impeached president's fate
-
Penguin memes take flight after Trump tariffs remote island
-
E.T., no home: Original model of movie alien doesn't sell at auction
-
Italy's Brignone has surgery on broken leg with Winter Olympics looming
-
Trump defiant as tariffs send world markets into panic
-
City officials vote to repair roof on home of MLB Rays
-
Rockets forward Brooks gets one-game NBA ban for technicals
-
Pentagon watchdog to probe defense chief over Signal chat row
-
US tariffs could push up inflation, slow growth: Fed official
-
New Bruce Springsteen music set for June 27 release
-
Tom Cruise pays tribute to Val Kilmer
-
Mexico president welcomes being left off Trump's tariffs list
-
Zuckerberg repeats Trump visits in bid to settle antitrust case
-
US fencer disqualified for not facing transgender rival
-
'Everyone worried' by Trump tariffs in France's champagne region
-
Italy's Brignone suffers broken leg with Winter Olympics looming
-
Iyer blitz powers Kolkata to big IPL win over Hyderabad
-
Russian soprano Netrebko to return to London's Royal Opera House
-
French creche worker gets 25 years for killing baby with drain cleaner
-
UK avoids worst US tariffs post-Brexit, but no celebrations
-
Canada imposing 25% tariff on some US auto imports
-
Ruud wants 'fair share' of Grand Slam revenue for players
-
Lesotho, Africa's 'kingdom in the sky' jolted by Trump
-
Trump's trade math baffles economists
-
Gaza heritage and destruction on display in Paris
-
'Unprecedented crisis' in Africa healthcare: report
-
Pogacar gunning for blood and thunder in Tour of Flanders
-
Macron calls for suspension of investment in US until tariffs clarified
-
Wall St leads rout as world reels from Trump tariffs
-
Mullins gets perfect National boost with remarkable four-timer
-
Trump tariffs hammer global stocks, dollar and oil
-
Authors hold London protest against Meta for 'stealing' work to train AI
-
Tate Modern gifted 'extraordinary' work by US artist Joan Mitchell
-
Mexico president welcomes being left off Trump's new tariffs list
-
Tonali eager to lead Newcastle back into Champions League
-
Lesotho hardest hit as new US tariffs rattle Africa

China's growing 'robotaxi' fleet sparks concern, wonder on streets
Turning heads as they cruise past office buildings and malls, driverless taxis are slowly spreading through Chinese cities, prompting both wariness and wonder.
China's tech companies and automakers have poured billions of dollars into self-driving technology in recent years in an effort to catch industry leaders in the United States.
Now the central city of Wuhan boasts one of the world's largest networks of self-driving cars, home to a fleet of over 500 taxis that can be hailed on an app just like regular rides.
At one intersection in an industrial area of Wuhan, AFP reporters saw at least five robotaxis passing each other as they navigated regular traffic.
"It looks kind of magical, like a sci-fi movie," a local surnamed Yang told AFP.
But not everyone shares Yang's awe.
Debate around safety was sparked in April when a Huawei-backed Aito car was involved in a fatal accident, with the company saying its automatic braking system failed.
A minor collision between a jaywalker and a Wuhan robotaxi last month re-ignited concerns.
Taxi drivers and workers in traditional ride-hailing companies have also raised fears of being replaced by artificial intelligence -- although the technology is far from fully developed.
- Five to 500 -
Wuhan's driverless cabs are part of tech giant Baidu's Apollo Go project, which first received licences to operate in the city in 2022.
Initially only five robocars ferried passengers around 13 square kilometres (five square miles) of the city of around 14 million.
Baidu says the taxis now operate in a 3,000 square kilometre patch -- more than a third of the total land area of Wuhan, including a small part of the city centre.
In comparison, US leader Waymo says the largest area it covers is 816 square kilometres, in Arizona.
When a car reaches its pickup point, riders scan a QR code with their phones to unlock the vehicle -- with the front seats blocked off over safety concerns.
The fares are currently heavily discounted, with a thirty-minute ride taken by AFP costing just 39 yuan ($5.43) compared with 64 yuan in a normal taxi.
"They are stealing our rice bowls, so of course we don't like them," Wuhan taxi driver Deng Haibing told AFP, using a popular Chinese term for livelihoods.
Deng said he fears robotaxi companies will push traditional drivers out of business with subsidised fares, before raising prices once they achieve domination -- similar to the strategy employed by ride-hailing apps in the 2010s.
"Currently the impact isn't too big because robotaxis aren't fully popularised and can't drive everywhere yet," Deng said.
- 'Simply not ready' -
The robotaxi fleet is a tiny fraction of the tens of thousands of taxis and ride-hailing cars in Wuhan.
More and more Chinese cities are rolling out policies to promote self-driving services though, part of a national push for tech supremacy.
Baidu and domestic rival Pony.ai have for years tested models of varying autonomy levels in industrial parks around the country.
Shanghai issued its first batch of provisional permits for fully driverless cars last month, and the capital Beijing has approved fully autonomous robotaxis in suburban areas.
The southwest city of Chongqing and southern tech hub of Shenzhen also have pilot projects underway.
Technology wise, there's still a long way to go before self-driving taxis become ubiquitous though, according to Tom Nunlist, tech policy analyst at Trivium China.
"Everybody seems to think autonomous driving is inevitable at this point, and frankly, I don't know that it is," he told AFP.
"Presently fully autonomous driving tech is simply not ready for large-scale deployment," he said.
Even in Wuhan's Apollo Go taxis -- which can spot obstacles and wait scrupulously at intersections -- ultimate responsibility for safety still lies with human officers monitoring rides remotely.
During one ride in an Apollo Go car, one manipulated the car's built-in touchscreen to remind AFP reporters to put on their seatbelts.
"Safety personnel provide strong assurances for your ride via remote 5G assistance technology," the Apollo Go app tells users.
Robotaxis are also far from able to replicate the human touch.
"Some customers have disabilities and (driverless cars) definitely wouldn't be able to help them, and some passengers are carrying large items," ride-hailing driver Zhao told AFP.
"Only a human can help."
Ch.Kahalev--AMWN