Chinese self-driving trucking company shifts focus to generative AI for video games.
- CreateAI, a Chinese autonomous trucking company, has rebranded and is now focusing on video games and animation, as announced on Thursday.
- In 2026, CEO Cheng Lu anticipates that the company will achieve profitability, two years after his return.
- Cheng stated that CreateAI aims to reduce the cost of producing top-tier, or triple A, games by 70% within the next five to six years.
CreateAI, a Chinese autonomous trucking company, has rebranded and is now focusing on video games and animation, the company announced on Thursday.
This month, GM shut down its Cruise robotaxi business, and the self-driving startup industry has begun to eliminate struggling companies. TuSimple, which operates in both the U.S. and China markets, faced its own set of challenges, including concerns about vehicle safety, a $189 million settlement of a securities fraud lawsuit, and delisting from the Nasdaq in February.
In 2026, CEO Cheng Lu anticipates that the company will achieve profitability, two years after his return.
Cheng expects to generate "several hundred million" in revenue in 2027 when the full version of the video game based on Jin Yong's martial arts novels is launched.
In the first three quarters of 2023, TuSimple reported a loss of $500,000 and spent $164.4 million on research and development.
Mo Chen, the co-founder of the company, has a long history with the Jin Yong family and began working in 2021 to create an animated feature based on their stories, according to Cheng.
OpenAI's ChatGPT is powered by the next-level technology that the company claims its artificial intelligence capabilities in developing autonomous driving software provide.
The company unveiled its first significant AI model, Ruyi, an open-source visual work model accessible through the Hugging Face platform, alongside its rebrand.
"Our shareholders recognize the value in this transformation and are eager to proceed in this direction, as evidenced by the support received from our management team and Board of Directors at the annual meeting."
The company aims to boost its workforce to approximately 500 members next year, an increase of around 200 employees.
Cutting production costs by 70%
In August, TuSimple announced a partnership with Shanghai Three Body Animation to create the first animated film and video game based on the science fiction novel series "The Three-Body Problem."
At the time, the company announced that it was introducing a new business segment to create generative AI applications for video games and animation.
Cheng stated that CreateAI aims to reduce the cost of producing top-tier "triple A" games by 70% within the next five to six years. He did not disclose whether the company is in discussions with a gaming giant.
Cheng stated that the company utilized a blend of Chinese and non-Chinese cloud computing providers when questioned about the effects of U.S. limitations.
The Biden administration has tightened restrictions on Chinese companies' access to advanced semiconductors used in generative AI technology in the United States.
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