Baidu CEO Robin Li and his company are under investigation by the Chinese government to determine if any laws were broken when he tested a driverless car on public roads, according to Beijing traffic police.
Baidu is one of the leading firms supporting the development of driverless cars in China, having announced its plans to have driverless cars on Chinese roads by 2019. It has frequently been called the Chinese counterpart to Google, as both primarily deal in the internet search engine business and have branched out into other technological pursuits.
On Wednesday, Baidu unveiled an alliance of companies researching self-driving car technology, where Li streamed video of himself sitting in the passenger seat of a driverless car navigating Beijing’s streets, reports Reuters.
However, this attracted the attention of the police, which launched an investigation on the road test.
“The police support technology and innovation of autonomous driving, but it should be conducted legally, safely, and scientifically,” said a statement by the Beijing traffic police. It added that any violations of the law would be punished.
China is one of the participants in the global race to develop autonomous vehicles, with the government providing supportive regulation as part of its shift towards high-tech- and knowledge-based economy from its heavy industry- and manufacturing-based background.
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