Before China's tech revolution, its products were often the subject of jokes, dubbed "China ka maal" in India, synonymous with unreliability. Fast forward to today, and we have driverless delivery vans that were meant to be the superheroes of logistics, zooming around like they're on a mission from the future. Instead, they're more like the sidekicks in a bad sci-fi comedy.
The clips, exploding across Chinese social media, X, and Instagram with millions of views, capture these autonomous terrors in full kamikaze mode. One van speeds down a pothole-riddled road like it's auditioning for a monster truck rally. Another barrels onto highway shoulders, rolls over barriers, and crashes into fellow road users with the grace of a shopping cart in a supermarket stampede. Something better? A self-driving van cruising the freeway with a motorbike wedged in its wheel arch.
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Taking the opportunity, social media users shared their views on the visuals. "Nothing stops China's driverless vans, not concrete, not barriers, not common sense!" quipped one X user. Others mocked the tech's "beta test gone wild," with comments like, "AI detected the obstacle... and said, 'Challenge accepted!'"
China's autonomous fleet has boomed, with ZTO Express and J&T Express using thousands of Level 2 ADAS vans for last-mile deliveries. Automakers eye Level 3 approvals by year-end. However, authorities hit the brakes after Xiaomi's SU7 tragedy last March. That self-driving sedan smashed a barrier at 115 kmph in Anhui, killing three university students and turning hype into heartbreak.
With the tech-forward approach, companies expect self-driving technology to evolve, promising safer roads and fewer traffic jams. However, the videos of the delivery vans turning urban China into a pinball machine while operating in chaos mode tell a different story. For now, these viral menaces prove AI's no match for human unpredictability, potholes, concrete pours, and rogue bikers included.