China Aims to Dominate AI Driving

"GUANGZHOU, China -- With electric vehicles, China sped past the rest of the world. Now, it is looking to repeat the feat with autonomous driving.

Competition is intensifying in driver-assistance software -- one pathway to full autonomous driving -- among startups such as XPeng and national technology champions including Huawei. To speed up innovation and drive down costs, they are using artificial-intelligence techniques to mimic human driving patterns and navigate cars through many traffic situations, although the latest models still require a human driver to stay alert and at times take control of the car.

The Chinese technology isn't yet widely available in the U.S., but American scrutiny is growing. The Biden administration is probing whether connected vehicles loaded with Chinese software to monitor drivers and connect to networks pose a risk to national security.

Dominating these technologies is important for China if it hopes to realize its ambitions of becoming a global automotive power, challenging the West and Japan.

Compared with the U.S., where Tesla has been at the forefront of driver-assistance technology in cars sold to consumers, China offers some advantages for companies that could accelerate progress.

About half of new cars sold in the country are electric vehicles or plug-in hybrids. Advanced driving technology consumes electricity because of the sophisticated computers on board making split-second calculations, and electrified vehicles provide a more-stable power supply than lead-acid batteries in gasoline-powered cars, industry analysts say.

And China's tech-savvy consumers, many of them relatively new to driving, are more open to ceding vehicle controls to a computer. In a survey last year by PwC, 85% of Chinese consumers said they were comfortable with autonomous driving that doesn't require human action or supervision compared with 39% of American consumers.

Companies are looking at both driving-assistance systems in consumer cars and robotaxis as steps toward full self-driving. Ministries in Beijing and local governments have been introducing guidelines aimed at developing the self-driving car industry.

Michael Dunne, who runs his own automotive consulting firm, said local governments were eager to help companies try out the technology. "The China ecosystem is designed to accelerate the commercialization of autonomous driving," he said.

Tesla has served as an inspiration to China's EV industry, from its minimalist interiors to its direct-sales model. It is now doing the same for driver-assistance technology, although this time, Tesla's latest technology isn't yet available in China. Tesla said on Sept. 5 that it aimed to introduce the technology in China in the first quarter of 2025.

Tesla and the Chinese companies are focusing on AI-powered driver-assistance technology that can respond to new roads and scenarios instead of relying on high-definition maps and preset rules written by engineers. This technology is called an end-to-end system because it uses a single AI model to absorb input from sensors and decide how to drive rather than splitting the tasks among separate programs.

The system is trained on data including videos of cars driven by humans, which allows it to simulate how people drive. In theory, that allows the system to spontaneously respond to new roads and scenarios, though many in the industry say safety challenges remain, especially in uncommon driving situations.

With a stream of announcements that recall China's rush into EVs a few years ago, the nation's top carmakers and technology companies are stepping up plans for end-to-end AI driving.

XPeng, one of China's biggest EV startups, introduced its version in May. BYD, the country's biggest carmaker by vehicle sales, is working with Huawei, the telecommunications and smartphone company targeted by U.S. sanctions. BYD's first car using end-to-end driving software, an off-road sport-utility vehicle, is set to go on sale this year. NIO, another EV startup, has announced similar plans.

In the first quarter of 2024, more than half of the cars sold in China were equipped with Level 2 and Level 2+ driving-assistance systems, according to research firm Canalys. Level 2 technology can handle steering, acceleration and braking under certain conditions while the driver stays ready to take over.

XPeng says its system has been tested on 4 million miles of Chinese roads and can be used nationwide in contrast to its earlier driver-assistance program, which was limited to a handful of cities with high-definition maps. A new car with the system will cost as little as $22,000.

On a test ride recently in Guangzhou, the driver -- an XPeng employee -- took control several times on the 10-mile route through crowded urban roads and some quieter side streets. At one point, the car, trying to make a left turn, kept inching forward while there was a red light for left turns until the driver took over.

A XPeng spokeswoman said the car was still within the waiting area for left-turning vehicles when the driver took over.

For the most part, the car drove without human intervention, hitting a top speed of about 45 mph. The braking and turning were smooth. "It's not meant to replace human beings. It is meant to help the driver" by relieving fatigue, said Liyun Li, who heads XPeng's autonomous driving center.

Li said XPeng was spending around $500 million a year on AI computing and talent recruitment, or about two-thirds of its research-and-development budget.

American consumers aren't likely to experience any of the Chinese technology for now because of prohibitive tariffs placed on Chinese EVs.

XPeng said it hoped to bring its driver-assistance software to other overseas markets.

U.S. restrictions on China's access to advanced chips pose a challenge for China's auto industry. While the U.S. doesn't currently bar the export of Nvidia's Orin series and certain Qualcomm chips that are widely used inside Chinese vehicles, that could change.

However, China's chip industry is growing. Both XPeng and NIO have designed their own chips, as Tesla already does." [1]

1. Business News: China Aims to Dominate AI Driving. Kubota, Yoko.  Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y.. 11 Sep 2024: B.5. 

More bad news, not just the rotting brains and teeth of the generals. People, if you know that billions of euros are being stolen for defense in Lithuania, why are you silent?

 "Increasing spending on national defense is a way to prepare the country for the biggest possible threats. It is necessary to master the latest military technologies. Here, the neighbors, the Estonians, have set out to build an entire defense industrial park, where ammunition, cars, and small drones would be produced. Meanwhile, the Lithuanians began to structurally strengthen their military capabilities. It is necessary to establish a separate military unit on the example of Ukraine - an unmanned systems force consisting of drones, sea drones and ground robots. Large funds will be allocated to new weapons, equipment and ammunition, acquiring new air defense systems.

 

 In the course of medium-range air defense, our state loudly announced the purchase of the NASAMS system... And it is this name that causes questions for every taxpayer. The bottom line is that our nation had already acquired a medium-range air defense system for NASAMS, only ... it was not transferred to where it was needed, because of the history of the missiles, it was inoperable. The former Minister of National Defense, Arvydas Anušauskas, spoke about this, promising to open a thick smoke screen, and in fact, the possible large-scale corruption in arms procurement hidden under this metaphor. Who could deny that precisely because of this statement, this minister was dismissed without explanation. In his programmatic article "The army always prepares only for future scenarios" (Lietuvos Aidas, No. 10), he points out another potentially criminal factual circumstance: in national defense procurement, contracts were tolerated without guaranteeing the supply of spare parts. 

In other words, non-functioning, dummy weapons were purchased, the use of which is impossible under the conditions of emerging threats. And this would mean the inevitable, brutal and senseless deaths of soldiers, unable to defend themselves. It is obvious that this type of destructive procurement is nothing but the work of the internal enemy of the state, and all hostile special services usually use corrupt officials and politicians.

 

 However, the biggest surprise is the state controlling institutions, whose duty is to stop any manifestations of corruption in state governance. Unbelievably, no investigation was launched after the specific facts and exposure made public by a high-ranking official, maliciously disrupting arms purchases worth tens of millions of euros. And this is not the story of some golden spoons, when kitchen equipment for the Lithuanian army was bought much more expensive than in an ordinary store.

 

 Today, the increase in the defense budget means enormous funds that can be successfully stolen without institutional supervision, especially with the emergence of new legal nuances in the procedures for arms procurement. Large-scale corruption always has a destructive effect on the state's defense and security policy, and hinders economic and political development. It was not for nothing that Dante put corrupt officials in the lowest circle of hell.

 

 The strength of democracy is primarily the strength of legitimacy. When the political will is weak, and the institutions and their leaders openly tolerate corrupt transactions, the civic responsibility of the Lithuanian people for the defense and security of the state must be strengthened.

 

 Democratic monitoring is the opportunity of the society itself to control the state institutions and demand from them first of all transparent use of budget funds and accountability.

 

 We invite you to join the initiative of the Democratic Monitoring Group, whose goal is transparency and accountability in the use of defense budget funds.

 

 We will demand legal responsibility for corrupt acts and damage caused to the state.

 

 We will defeat the corrupt internal enemy with the will of the people and the efforts of all the people of Lithuania."

 

Daugiau blogų naujienų, ne tik generolų supuvę smegenys ir dantys. Tauta, jei žinai, kad milijardai eurų gynybai Lietuvoje yra išvagiami, tai kodėl tyli?

"Išlaidų nacionalinei gynybai didinimas yra būdas parengti valstybę galimoms didžiausioms grėsmėms. Būtina įvaldyti naujausias karines technologijas. Štai kaimynai estai užsibrėžė pastatyti ištisą gynybos pramonės parką, kuriame būtų gaminama amunicija, automobiliai, maži bepiločiai orlaiviai. Lietuviai tuo tarpu ėmė struktūriškai stiprinti karinius pajėgumus. Būtina įkurti Ukrainos pavyzdžiu atskirą kariuomenės vienetą – bepiločių sistemų pajėgas, sudarytas iš bepiločių orlaivių, jūros bepiločių ir antžeminių robotų. Didelės lėšos bus skiriamos naujai ginkluotei, technikai ir amunicijai, įsigyjant naujas oro gynybos sistemas.

Vykdydama vidutinio nuotolio oro gynybą, mūsų valstybė garsiai pareiškė apie sistemos NASAMS pirkimą... Ir štai būtent šis pavadinimas kiekvienam mokesčių mokėtojai sukelia klausimų. Esmė yra ta, kad mūsų valstybė jau buvo įsigijusi vidutinio nuotolio priešlėktuvinės gynybos sistemą NASAMS, tik... ji nebuvo perduota ten, kur reikėjo, nes dėl raketų istorijos ji buvo neveiksni. Apie tai prabilo buvęs krašto apsaugos ministras Arvydas Anušauskas, pažadėjęs praskleisti storą dūmų uždangą, o iš tiesų – po šia metafora besislepiančią galimai stambiąją korupciją ginkluotės pirkimuose. Kas galėtų paneigti, kad būtent dėl šio pasakymo šis ministras buvo be jokių paaiškinimų žaibiškai atleistas iš pareigų. Savo programiniame straipsnyje „Kariuomenė visada ruošiasi tik ateities scenarijams“ (Lietuvos aidas, Nr. 10) jis nurodo ir dar vieną galimai nusikalstamą faktinę aplinkybę: krašto apsaugos pirkimuose buvo toleruojamos sutartys be atsarginių dalių tiekimo užtikrinimo. Kitaip tariant, buvo perkama neveikianti, butaforinė ginkluotė, kurios panaudojimas neįmanomas iškilusių grėsmių sąlygomis. O tai reikštų neišvengiamas, žiaurias ir beprasmes karių žūtis, negalint apsiginti. Akivaizdu, kad tokio pobūdžio destrukciniai pirkimai – tai ne kas kita, kaip valstybės vidaus priešo darbas, o visos priešiškos specialiosios tarnybos dažniausiai ir naudojasi korumpuotais pareigūnais bei politikais.

Tačiau didžiausią nuostabą kelia valstybinės kontroliuojančios institucijos, kurių pareiga – stabdyti bet kokias korupcijos valstybės valdyme apraiškas. Neįtikėtina, tačiau po aukšto pareigūno viešai paskelbtų konkrečių faktų ir demaskavimo, piktybiškai žlugdant ginkluotės pirkimus už dešimtis milijonų eurų, nebuvo pradėta jokio tyrimo. Ir tai ne kokių auksinių šaukštų istorija, kai virtuvinė įranga Lietuvos kariuomenei buvo perkama žymiai brangiau, nei paprastoje parduotuvėje.

Šiandien gynybos biudžeto didėjimas – tai milžiniškos lėšos, kurios be institucinės priežiūros gali būti sėkmingai išvogtos, ypač atsiradus naujų teisinių niuansų ginkluotės pirkimų procedūrose. Stambaus masto korupcija visada destruktyviai paveikia valstybės gynybos ir saugumo politiką, stabdo ekonominę ir politinę plėtrą. Ne veltui Dantė korumpuotus pareigūnus įkišo į žemiausią pragaro ratą.

Demokratijos stiprumas – tai pirmiausia teisėtumo tvirtumas. Kai politinė valia silpna, o institucijos ir jų vadovai atvirai toleruoja korumpuotus sandorius, privalo stiprėti pilietinė Lietuvos žmonių atsakomybė už valstybės gynybą ir saugumą.

Demokratinė stebėsena – tai pačios visuomenės galimybė kontroliuoti valstybės institucijas ir reikalauti iš jų pirmiausia skaidraus biudžeto lėšų panaudojimo, atskaitomybės.

Kviečiame telktis į iniciatyvinę Demokratinės stebėsenos grupę, kurios tikslas – gynybos biudžeto lėšų panaudojimo skaidrumas ir atskaitomybė.

Reikalausime teisinės atsakomybės už korupcines veikas ir valstybei padarytą žalą.

Korumpuotą vidaus priešą įveiksime pilietine valia ir visų Lietuvos žmonių pastangomis."

 

People, if you know that the billions of euros for defense in Lithuania are being stolen, why are you silent? STT started an investigation into V. Rupšys' dental implants: they were paid for by the army

 "The Special Investigation Service (STT) has started a pre-trial investigation against the retired commander of the Lithuanian army, Valdemaras Rupšys. According to the "Delfi" portal, V. Rupšys got dental implants two years ago at the expense of the army. According to "Delfi", after receiving a complaint in the spring with information about V. Rupšys' dental implants, the Ministry of National Defense (KAM) turned to the STT, requesting an assessment and a procedural decision "regarding the circumstances related to the possibly illegally provided health care services". "The Special Investigations Service, after receiving the notification from the Ministry of National Defense and evaluating the initial information, started a pre-trial investigation into possible abuse and into the possible falsification of a document and possession of a forged document," reads the service's response sent to BNS. It states that the investigation was launched in order to find out whether health care services were unreasonably provided in the Lithuanian army. There are currently no charges filed. "We remind you that a pre-trial investigation is started in any case if there is at least a small possibility that a criminal act may have been committed, but this does not mean that a crime has been committed," the comment states.

 V. Rupšys himself claimed that the dental implants were placed in 2022 after he suffered a dental injury during his service. According to him, the incident was recognized as related to the service, which is why it was paid for with the army's funds. The legal procedure could reach about 4 thousand euros.

 ELTA reminds that this is not the first time V. Rupšys has received similar questions. Last year, while he was still in command of the army, the "15min" portal reported that V. Rupšys was renting an apartment from his son in Vilnius and for that he received 445 euros in so-called housing allowance. In the public sphere, it was discussed whether the general had confused public and private interests. V. Rupšys argued to journalists that he rents an apartment from his son, because he lives in Vilnius only on weekdays, in compliance with Lithuanian laws. The army's response to the portal later states that V. Rupšys has the right to rent from his son, as he does not own real estate in Vilnius and the surrounding areas. After the scandal that arose in the public space, the general decided to terminate the apartment lease, but stated that he did not feel that he had caused any moral damage. After evaluating the collected information about the rental of the residence of the then Commander of the Lithuanian Armed Forces, the Supreme Service Ethics Commission (VTEK) did not start an investigation that is due to the possible confusion of public and private interests."

 

 

 

Tauta, jei žinai, kad milijardai eurų gynybai Lietuvoje yra išvagiami, tai kodėl tyli? STT pradėjo tyrimą dėl V. Rupšio dantų implantų: už juos sumokėjo kariuomenė

“Specialiųjų tyrimų tarnyba (STT) pradėjo ikiteisminį tyrimą kadenciją baigusio Lietuvos kariuomenės vado Valdemaro Rupšio atžvilgiu. Pasak portalo „Delfi“, V. Rupšys prieš dvejus metus už kariuomenės lėšas susidėjo dantų implantus. „Delfi“ duomenimis, pavasarį sulaukusi skundo su jame pateikta informacija apie V. Rupšio dantų implantus, Krašto apsaugos ministerija (KAM) kreipėsi į STT, prašydama įvertinti ir priimti procesinį sprendimą „dėl aplinkybių, susijusių su galimai neteisėtai suteiktomis sveikatos priežiūros paslaugomis“. „Specialiųjų tyrimų tarnyba, gavusi Krašto apsaugos ministerijos pranešimą ir įvertinusi pirminę informaciją, pradėjo ikiteisminį tyrimą dėl galimo piktnaudžiavimo ir dėl galimo dokumento suklastojimo ir disponavimo suklastotu dokumentu“, – rašoma BNS atsiųstame tarnybos atsakyme. Jame nurodoma, jog tyrimas pradėtas siekiant išsiaiškinti, ar buvo nepagrįstai suteiktos sveikatos priežiūros paslaugos Lietuvos kariuomenėje. Šiuo metu pareikštų įtarimų nėra. „Primename, kad ikiteisminis tyrimas pradedamas bet kuriuo atveju, jei yra bent maža regimybė, kad galėjo būti padaryta nusikalstama veika, tačiau tai dar nereiškia, kad nusikaltimas buvo padarytas“, – teigiama komentare.

 

Pats V. Rupšys tvirtino, kad dantų implantai buvo sudėti 2022 metais tarnybos metu jam patyrus odontologinę traumą. Pasak jo, įvykis buvo pripažintas susijęs su tarnyba, todėl ir buvo apmokėtas kariuomenės lėšomis. Įstatymo procedūra galėjo siekti apie 4 tūkst. eurų.

 

ELTA primena, kad tai ne pirmas kartas kada V. Rupšys susilaukė panašių klausimų. Praėjusiais metais, dar vadovaujant kariuomenei, portalas „15min“ pranešė, jog V. Rupšys iš savo sūnaus Vilniuje nuomojasi butą ir už tai gavo 445 eurų vadinamuosius butpinigius. Viešojoje erdvėje imta diskutuoti, ar generolas nesupainiojo viešų ir privačių interesų. Žurnalistams V. Rupšys argumentavo, kad nuomojasi butą iš sūnaus, nes Vilniuje gyvena tik darbo dienomis, laikydamasis Lietuvos įstatymų. Vėliau portalui pateiktame kariuomenės atsakyme teigiama, jog V. Rupšys turi teisę nuomotis iš sūnaus, nes Vilniuje ir aplinkiniuose rajonuose nevaldo nekilnojamojo turto. Po viešojoje erdvėje kilusios skandalo generolas nutarė nutraukti buto nuomos sutartį, tačiau pareiškė, kad nesijaučia padaręs kokią nors moralinę žalą. Įvertinusi surinktą informaciją apie tuometinio Lietuvos kariuomenės vado būsto nuomą, Vyriausioji tarnybinės etikos komisija (VTEK) nepradėjo tyrimo dėl galimai supainiotų viešų ir privačių interesų."