Fatal Xiaomi EV crash sparks debate on self-driving tech's safety
What's the story
The recent fatal accident involving Xiaomi's self-driving tech in its SU7 electric vehicle has reignited the debate over the safety of autonomous driving systems.
The incident, which killed three people in China's Anhui province, has prompted Xiaomi to investigate the crash and its driver-assistance tech.
The company's CEO Lei Jun said "Xiaomi would not dodge its responsibility" in the wake of this tragedy.
Safety concerns
Need for driver education emphasized
Analysts have warned that the widespread use of preliminary self-driving tech, aka navigation on autopilot (NOA), poses major safety risks as drivers don't understand how the system works and the rules associated with it.
David Zhang, General Secretary of the International Intelligent Vehicle Engineering Association, highlighted this by saying, "millions of drivers need to be educated to properly use the NOA systems."
Company action
Xiaomi's investigation and response
Responding to the accident, Xiaomi confirmed that their SU7 was doing 116km/h on a highway with the driver-assistance system on when it crashed into a concrete barrier.
The company said the system warned the driver to take control of the vehicle two seconds before impact.
Now, after this incident, Lei announced via his Weibo account that Xiaomi has formed a special task force to assist the police with their investigation.
Market impact
Xiaomi's stock and investor concerns
The accident has caused Xiaomi's stock to dip as much as 6.1% on the Hong Kong exchange.
Since raising some $5.5 billion last week for its EV business expansion, the shares have fallen nearly 18%.
Shen Meng, director at Beijing-based investment bank Chanson & Co., said, "investors might have concerns over Xiaomi's competitiveness and growth outlook after reports of the car accident."
Tech dependence
Concerns over reliance on advanced driver assistance technology
The incident has sparked concerns over over-reliance on advanced driver assistance technology, which still requires drivers to keep their hands on the steering wheel and stay alert to surrounding traffic.
However, this isn't an isolated case. Elon Musk's Tesla is facing multiple investigations into whether its partial-automation system marketed as Full Self-Driving is defective after several crashes, including one that killed a person.