Chinese internet giant Baidu has met with state-owned Shandong Heavy Industry Group (SHIG) to discuss cooperation in artificial intelligence (AI) and autonomous driving. Baidu plans to deepen its collaboration with SHIG-owned Weichai Group to apply AI technologies in the manufacturing industry. SHIG expects to work with Baidu to accelerate the application of intelligent manufacturing and driving. This collaboration marks Baidu's entry into the commercial vehicle sector, with SHIG being a leading heavy-duty truck producer in China. Autonomous trucking is considered a promising business opportunity for self-driving technologies, and companies like Waymo, Tesla, TuSimple, and Plus are also working on their own autonomous trucking technologies [9d48fb48].
In other news, Chinese policymakers are exploring the potential of the 'low-altitude economy,' involving drones and eVTOL aircraft for various industries. Progress in airworthiness certifications and drone delivery trials has been slow. The US Commerce Department has added 37 Chinese entities to its trade restriction list over national security concerns related to high altitude balloons and advancements in quantum technology [99118dd4].
During President Xi Jinping's visit, Hungary agreed to deepen ties with Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd., planning a joint cloud services platform that may strain relations with Western allies [99118dd4].
Baidu Inc.'s head of communications has resigned following backlash over her promotion of a harsh management style [99118dd4].
Zeekr Intelligent Technology Holding Ltd., an upscale electric vehicle brand, successfully expanded its US IPO to raise $441 million, marking the largest US listing by a China-based company since 2021 [99118dd4].
Chinese self-driving car supplier Hesai is suing the US Department of Defence for including it on a list of companies accused of aiding China's military. Hesai is urging the court to order the department to remove it from the list or declare the provision unconstitutional. The lawsuit follows other legal challenges to the US government's attempt to warn about companies that appear to help advance China's military capabilities. Hesai provides lidar technology in self-driving cars and insists that it only designs and makes products for commercial and civilian uses. The company's presence on the list has disrupted its plans to build a manufacturing facility in the US [f55b736f].
Eric Schmidt, former Google CEO, has secretly founded a military drone company and is testing AI-guided drones in Menlo Park and Ukraine. The company, previously known as White Stork, is now called Project Eagle. Schmidt has been testing drone prototypes with the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense and seeking their feedback. He has a government security clearance and has advocated for US military funding for Ukraine. The drone development has been aided by hires from Apple, SpaceX, Google, and Schmidt's philanthropic organization. Schmidt has sought advice from Sebastian Thrun and Hendrik Dahlkamp, and they are developing AI-enabled visual targeting software for the drone project. The venture's operations are obfuscated by a constellation of LLCs and associated companies. Schmidt has positioned himself as a pundit on the conflict in Ukraine and has written op-eds about the use of AI in warfare. The drone company is testing AI-guided kamikaze drones that collaborate to strike targets. Schmidt's drone project is named Project Eagle and is being conducted in stealth [08833190].