Chinese artificial‑intelligence companies are rapidly expanding abroad, with more than 70 already operating outside China and another 20 preparing to launch overseas services, according to research firm EqualOcean. One high‑profile project involves Baidu‑owned Apollo Go partnering with Swiss public‑transport operator PostBus to introduce driverless taxis in a canton of Eastern Switzerland early next year. The autonomous vehicles will be controlled by Chinese AI technology, reflecting a broader strategy among Chinese firms to export lower‑cost hardware and data‑driven services to markets where they can charge higher fares.
The push abroad is driven by limited growth prospects at home and intense competition from U.S. rivals such as Waymo. While Chinese firms have achieved cost reductions and expanded to dozens of countries, profitability remains challenging because an oversupply of human taxi drivers keeps passenger fares low. Nonetheless, the attractiveness of foreign markets is seen as a key growth avenue for China’s AI industry.