Uber + Baidu: Robotaxis Going Global, One App at a Time

[cryptoenthusiast]

“Your Uber has arrived… and it’s got no driver.” That line might soon become the norm in Asia and the Middle East. Uber and China’s Baidu are teaming up to launch driverless rides in select international markets by the end of 2025, Bloomberg reports.

The catch? They’re playing coy on which countries exactly — though Singapore, Malaysia, and even Switzerland are reportedly on Baidu’s radar. Yes, robo-cabs in the land of chocolate and neutrality. Sweet.

The deal will see “thousands of Baidu’s autonomous vehicles” made available via the Uber app — marking yet another step in Uber’s transformation from ride-hailing app to global AI mobility operator. Financial terms? Still under wraps (or in a non-disclosure black hole).

Baidu’s Apollo Go service has already racked up 11 million+ autonomous rides, leapfrogging Alphabet’s Waymo with its ~10 million. Uber, meanwhile, is hedging its robo-bets with a dozen+ partners, from Waymo to China’s WeRide and Pony AI. It’s basically a robotaxi Tinder at this point.

Why it matters: The driverless race is going borderless. As regulation loosens and AI gets smarter, the real question isn’t if robotaxis go mainstream — it’s who gets there first.

Would you ride a robotaxi in Dubai or Kuala Lumpur — or are you still waiting for it to pass the vibe check? 🛺