Li Xiang’s Thoughts on AI and the Future of Ideal
Nine months after disappearing from the public eye, Li Xiang is back! This time, he talks enthusiastically about AI. He believes that the emergence of large language models has brought fundamental changes to humanity. He also discusses the latest progress of Ideal Auto’s intelligent driving and the application of artificial intelligence technology in Ideal Voice Assistant.
**AI Means the Entire Future**
Some people question Li Xiang for making extended-range electric vehicles when others were making pure electric vehicles. Now that many people are making extended-range electric vehicles, he wants to become an artificial intelligence enterprise. Li Xiang states that making cars is definitely going to continue. Electricization is the first half of the game, and intelligence is the second half. And this intelligence is true artificial intelligence. Cars will evolve from transportation tools to space robots.
Regarding being questioned for following the trend and proposing to become a world-leading artificial intelligence enterprise two months after the birth of ChatGPT, Li Xiang responds that in September 2022, he had already determined artificial intelligence as an important direction. In early 2023, he turned it from a hidden strategy into an open and overt strategy to attract talents.
When asked why he insists on saying an artificial intelligence enterprise rather than an electric vehicle enterprise driven by artificial intelligence technology, etc., Li Xiang says that when he ran Autohome, he had regrets. He chose a vertical field and missed the forest. This time, he wants to be the biggest in the forest. He states that Ideal spends over 10 billion on research and development annually, and nearly half is in artificial intelligence. He is working on foundation models, end-to-end, and VLM, involving intelligent driving, Ideal Voice Assistant, intelligent business, and intelligent industry. After the emergence of large models, he believes that humans will become better. The Internet realizes information equality, and artificial intelligence realizes knowledge cognition and ability equality, fusing the physical world and the digital world and making space infinitely extendable. Li Xiang feels that AI means the entire future for Ideal.
**Let Users Use Artificial Intelligence Products with Consistent Experiences**
Some people question that Ideal’s intelligent driving started late. Li Xiang explains that as a serial entrepreneur, he knows the development rhythm of enterprises. Ideal Auto had poor financing ability in the early stage. First, it made good products to gain market recognition. Later, it carried out technology platformization, including an autonomous driving platform, cockpit platform, and vehicle domain controller. In the future, it will also make models and silicon carbide for motors.
Steve Jobs believed that hardware is the brain and muscles of a product, and software is the soul. Li Xiang agrees with this and says that when he started his business, he believed that his advantage was that he understood the Internet and large-scale software better than traditional car companies, and he understood making cars better than Internet and software companies.
Ideal Voice Assistant entering mobile phones from car infotainment systems is questioned as entering a red ocean battle. Li Xiang says that if it were a pure hardware company, this might fit such a definition. But like Apple, it doesn’t just sell Macs. Enterprises cannot be defined by hardware. The foundation model is the operating system and programming language in the era of artificial intelligence and is a watershed. Ideal is working on the foundation model. What it builds is an artificial intelligence super product and a new generation of entry points. Ideal Voice Assistant entering mobile phones from car infotainment systems is a strategic decision. Under the premise of mastering the foundation model, a true large model product should be able to independently use all devices and have all services. At the same time, it is also to allow Ideal car users and their families to experience consistent artificial intelligence products on different devices.
**Believing That in Our Lifetime, We Can Achieve the Third Stage of Artificial Intelligence**
From a product perspective, looking at the iterative product forms of artificial intelligence capability evolution, Li Xiang believes that it should be combined with user needs and capabilities. The realization of artificial general intelligence (AGI) is divided into three stages. The first stage is “enhancing my capabilities,” such as L3 autonomous driving, assisting users but with decision-making power in the hands of users, making users convenient and efficient. The second stage is “becoming my assistant.” Users issue tasks, and the intelligent agent completes them independently and takes responsibility for the results. Automobile enterprises achieve this stage when they reach L4. The third stage is “silicon-based family members.” Without instructions and task assignments, the intelligent agent becomes a family member and even an important organizer, understanding users and their family and friends and continuing users’ memories. Li Xiang believes that he and his team can achieve the third stage in their lifetime.
Regarding the personal assistant war, Li Xiang believes that it is still in a very preliminary stage. Everyone needs to obtain the tickets for AGI’s L3 and autonomous driving’s L4. Ideal Voice Assistant and autonomous driving are currently in the early
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