Written by Akimoto Yukiko
At the “2024 Li Auto AI Talk” series, the chief executive of the carmaker Li Auto, Li Xiang, said that cars will evolve from tools for transportation into AI-powered robots. The CEO had previously stated that the carmaker’s goal is to become an AI company.
In September 2022, the company decided to focus on AI, which is key to staying competitive. By early 2023, Li Auto officially announced AI as part of its long-term plan.
He stated that Li Auto will definitely work on robots, but not right away. “If we can’t achieve L4-level autonomous driving in cars, which are the simplest robots, how can we handle more complex ones? Cars must succeed first for other AI robots to be possible,” he explained.
According to the chief executive, Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) will develop in three stages.
The first stage, “enhancing my abilities,” means AI helps people as an assistant, but the person still makes the final decisions. For example, L3 autonomous driving is supervised driving.
The second stage, “becoming my assistant,” means people can give tasks—or even a series of tasks—and the AI can complete them on its own and take responsibility for the results, like L4 autonomous driving. “Only when carmakers reach L4 can we compare it to the iPhone 4 moment, and we are not there yet,” said Li.
The third stage, “silicon-based family members,” imagines AI needing no instructions, acting as a family member, and even becoming an important organizer in the household.
As part of its move to become an AI-focused company, Li Auto’s in-car assistant, “LiXiang TongXue” will be available on mobile phones. The app, set to launch on December 27, will work like Doubao, Kimi, and ChatGPT.
Li said that bringing “LiXiang TongXue” from cars to mobile devices fits the idea of a true AI product. In his view, real AI should work on its own across all devices and offer all kinds of services.
Li said that many children of Li Auto users first learn about AI through “LiXiang TongXue,” which helps them solve problems. “We want over one million Li Auto users and their families—about 3 to 5 million people—to enjoy the same AI experience, not just in their cars but also on phones, computers, and even glasses,” he said.
In mid-October, the company delivered its one millionth vehicle, achieving the milestone in under five years since commencing deliveries in 2019.
Meanwhile, the carmaker Xpeng held in August its 2024 AI Day, where it unveiled its humanoid robot, Iron, and the extended-range system, Kunpeng, alongside other AI technologies.
The humanoid robot features “more than 60 joints and 200 degrees of freedom,” using technology adapted from XPeng’s vehicles. Xpeng revealed that it has been working on the robot for the past five years.
Written by Akimoto Yukiko
