Robotaxi with pinched fingers: Incident in China raises questions about the intelligence of autonomous vehicles

The vision sounds enticing: vehicles that operate without a driver, constantly monitor their surroundings, and, thanks to artificial intelligence, respond more safely than humans. But an incident in the Chinese metropolis of Shenzhen serves as a reminder that there is still a gap between technical vision and everyday reality. On October 3, a passenger in a self-driving taxi operated by the robotaxi operator Pony.ai found himself in a situation that more closely resembled a breakdown from the early days of motoring than the future of mobility. As he was getting in, three fingers of his left hand were trapped in the driver's door. What followed raises questions — not only about the vehicle's technology, but also about how emergencies are handled in driverless vehicles.

Video footage shows a man in obvious pain. His fingers become visibly pale as he tries to free himself. “Call now, quickly,” he calls to the bystanders. Several people inside and outside the vehicle try to open the door — apparently without success.

“Has never happened before”

According to Pony.ai, the door had been manually closed by an accompanying person while the passenger was boarding. In the process, the passenger's fingers were pinched. The company later stated that such an incident had not occurred before.

What is remarkable is not so much the pinching itself as the system's reaction. Modern vehicles have had sensors and protective mechanisms in place for years to prevent injuries when closing doors or windows. The question quickly arose in Chinese social networks as to why the door did not detect the resistance and stop the closing process. The situation was further complicated by the fact that the robotaxi's driver's door cannot be opened from the outside for safety reasons. The vehicle operates without a safety driver on board and is monitored only remotely. For the on-site helpers, that meant the most obvious way to free the injured person remained blocked at first. The footage shows, finally, how the man and others try to smash the driver's door window with a hard object. Whether this ultimately succeeded is not known.

The door was allegedly unlocked

Pony.ai points out that the left rear door had already been unlocked and the door handle had extended. Neither the passenger nor the bystanders, however, attempted to open this door. In addition, the vehicle has an emergency button and a screen through which customer service can be contacted.

The injured person was medically examined and subsequently discharged home. The company stated that it would support him with medical care and would make further follow-up care conditional on the treatment results. For the robotaxi industry, the incident comes at an inopportune time. Manufacturers and mobility providers worldwide are investing billions in autonomous ride services. The central message is often that computers act more attentively, more precisely, and ultimately safer than humans.

The Shenzhen case, however, shows that the performance of autonomous systems cannot be measured solely by their ability to detect lanes or to handle complex traffic situations. Crucially, it also matters how they respond to unexpected everyday events. A finger that gets pinched may seem banal compared with the challenges of urban traffic. For the person involved, however, it quickly becomes an emergency.