Baidu’s new AI simulator gives robotaxis a crash course in rare road hazards

Baidu has developed a new AI-driven simulator to train its Apollo robotaxis on rare, high-stakes road hazards such as cyclists running red lights and animals darting into traffic, as the Chinese tech giant seeks an edge in the self-driving taxi market. The system, called Apollo, is designed to expose the robotaxis to scenarios that challenge even experienced human drivers.

For autonomous vehicles, the hardest lessons to learn are the ones that can test the skills of even the most experienced human drivers: an errant cyclist darting through a red light, or an animal bolting into oncoming traffic from behind a corner. The Chinese tech giant Baidu has developed a new AI-driven simulator to prepare its Apollo robotaxis for just such rare but high-stakes road hazards, as the firm looks to gain an edge in the fast-growing self-driving taxi market. The system, Apollo...