Robotaxi safety operator is an occupation that exists only in our time, the result of a technology that has evolved advanced enough to eliminate drivers — most of the time and in controlled environments — but not good enough to convince the authorities that they can do it completely without human intervention. Today, self-driving companies from the US, Europe and China are racing to bring the technology to commercial use. Most of them, including Apollo, Baidu’s self-driving arm, have already started testing robotaxi on demand. on public roads but still need to work with various constraints.
With a college degree in human resources, Liu has no academic training related to this job, but he has always loved driving, and he was a driver for his boss in a previous role. . When he heard about self-driving technology, his curiosity prompted him to search for related jobs online and apply. Today, with his ruffled hair, warm smile and distinctive Beijing accent, Liu “drives” the robot five days a week in Shougang Park, a 3.3-square-mile old power plant in Beijing that has been restored redeveloped into a tourist attraction after serving as a sports venue for the 2022 Winter Olympics. His car couldn’t leave the park, which was designated a checkered test area booths, so his passengers are usually employees who work there or tourists visiting on weekends.
But Liu also needs to think about his next steps, as his job will likely be scrapped within a few years. He’s gone through several robotaxi models and policy changes during his 19-month career as a safety operator. In April 2021, Baidu obtained a license to safely put the operator in the front passenger seat instead of the driver’s seat (in Shougang Park only), and Liu later switched his position and said goodbye to the steering wheel. On July 21 of this year, Baidu unveiled a new robotaxi model with a detachable steering wheel, which is expected to go into service in 2023.
MIT Technology Review spoke with Liu Yang in June. We asked him about how he came to get this job, what his day-to-day life was like, and what the future holds for a profession designed to disappear soon.
The interview has been translated from Chinese and edited for clarity.
MIT Technology Review (TR): How did you decide to be a safe operator for self-driving taxis?
Liu Yang: It’s a coincidence. I used to send a car to an old boss, I didn’t know what self-driving was, but saw that his car had a self-parking function. I was super, super curious. It’s really fun when we ordinary people try it for the first time. Then I want to know more.
TR: How long have you been driving?
Liu: Twelve, thirteen years.
TR: Do you remember what the interview process was like?
Liu: I was extremely nervous when I went to the interview. We had two rounds, a face-to-face interview and a road test. I think the road test for self-driving [operators] harder than the road test to get a driver’s license. When learning to drive, you need to look to the left, right and rearview mirror; but when we took the test [for Baidu], you need to pay attention to all directions, as well as what every vehicle in front or behind you is doing. Maybe it will suddenly change lanes and affect you.
