Autonomous Driving Regulation to Reach a Structural Inflection Point

[Policy Outlook] Academician Li Jun of the Chinese Academy of Engineering stated that 2026 will mark a 'structural inflection point' for global autonomous driving safety regulation.

Core Development: Regulatory Paradigm Shifts into the 'Safety Case' Era

Starting in 2026, autonomous driving regulation will transition from compliance-based checklists to a 'Safety Case' model, directly addressing the black-box nature of AI decision-making.

Strategic Foundation: Resolving Ambiguous Liability and Long-Tail Risks

The old approach merely verified functional checklists, overlooking decision-making logic in complex scenarios and risk anticipation capabilities, resulting in unclear liability among automakers, suppliers, and drivers after accidents. The new paradigm requires systematic demonstration of safety across the entire product lifecycle, driving greater AI transparency.