Head's up! Baidu to begin testing its self-driving cars in Hebei city of Baoding

Baidu is taking its love for AI technology -- particularly self-driving cars -- to the next level by beginning a long-term official test of its high-tech vehicles in the city of Baoding in northern Hebei province. Close to the capital, but not too close. The search engine giant is a long-time investor in AI technology projects and has been developing a line of self-driving cars for years, designed to someday make roads safer across China. People's Daily reports that Baidu will spend the next three to five years testing in Baoding to improve user experience, while also exploring business models. While this sounds like great news for the future safety of Chinese roads, it sure took a while to get this far.