Tang Zhu Jia

Tang Zhu Jia questioned why Pony AI uses remote assistance for robotaxis when facing difficulties, instead of remote control or human takeover, and asked about the underlying technology difference.

Answer

Tiancheng Lou, CTO, clarified that remote assistance never controls the vehicle directly via steering or pedals; instead, it provides remote support and suggestions in response to vehicle requests. The vehicle's onboard driving system independently makes timely decisions, ensuring safe operation without dependence on network latency. He gave an example of temporary traffic control where remote assist confirms the car's decision. Lou also mentioned continuous improvements in AI algorithms and general AI capabilities to recognize complex contexts, aiming to improve the remote assist to vehicle ratio to 1:30 by year-end.

Tang Zhu Jia asked why Pony AI uses remote assistance on robotaxis when facing difficulties instead of remote control or human takeover, and the underlying technology difference.

Answer

CTO Tiancheng Lou clarified that remote assist never directly controls the vehicle (steering wheel or pedals). Instead, it provides remote support and suggestions in response to service requests. The vehicle independently drives and makes decisions, only requesting assistance, and still makes timely decisions based on the actual situation even after receiving suggestions. This ensures safe operation without dependence on network latency. A typical example is temporary traffic control, where remote assist confirms the car's decision. Continuous improvement in AI algorithms and general AI capability allows recognition of more complex contexts, improving the remote assist to vehicle ratio to 1:30 by year-end.