The integration of artificial intelligence into ride-hailing services raises questions about whether user habits can be cultivated and how pricing strategies will evolve to meet practical needs. On September 9, Caocao Mobility announced the launch of its AI-powered ride-hailing service in Beijing, Hangzhou, and Suzhou, developed in partnership with the AI assistant Doubao. According to reports, users can request a ride through text or voice commands directly within the Doubao app, where the system plans routes, presents various vehicle options with corresponding prices, and completes payment within the same interface. Caocao Mobility stated that the Doubao AI ride-hailing feature enables more precise service matching, as the system can intelligently recommend options like executive cars or spacious "Smart White" vehicles when users specify needs such as larger cabins or pre-ventilation requirements.

Sources indicate the collaboration between the two companies proceeded swiftly, with a decision made in June and subsequent gray-scale testing conducted in Hangzhou and Beijing. Insiders told reporters that these cities were selected because they are the headquarters locations of the respective companies, facilitating easier testing. Currently, Doubao has integrated only Caocao Mobility as its ride-hailing platform, though the source noted plans to expand to additional cities in the future. Caocao Mobility may also extend its reach by integrating with other AI agents, smartphone assistants, and other online AI super gateways. The company's latest semi-annual report reveals that as of June 30, its platform services spanned 215 cities, adding 20 new cities in the first half of the year, while average monthly active drivers grew by 36.8% to 758,000, up from 554,000 a year earlier.

Chen Liteng, a senior analyst at the e-commerce research center E-Commerce China, commented that this alliance allows Caocao Mobility to secure additional orders through the AI channel, reducing its reliance on traditional aggregation platforms, while also leveraging conversational booking to cultivate user familiarity with unmanned vehicle services and create a differentiated executive car experience. The "AI plus mobility" trend is gaining momentum, evidenced by Alibaba's Qwen AI launching ride-hailing capabilities on March 23, which support vehicle selection, adding waypoints, and scheduling appointments, and Didi's integration into Tencent's WeChat AI ecosystem in June as an initial partner.

Chen noted that Doubao's strengths lie in its advanced natural language interaction and substantial user base, offering unique vehicle-control features in collaboration with Caocao Mobility and the potential to connect with Douyin's local services. However, its weaknesses include a lack of its own mapping technology, an underdeveloped ride-hailing user mindset, and insufficient integration with payment and membership systems. The acceptance of AI-driven ride-hailing services among users remains uncertain at this stage. Chen believes that overall, the application of AI within the ride-hailing context holds significant value, as platforms can gather user demand data from AI scenarios to optimize dispatch operations. Yet, AI-based ride-hailing behavior is still in its exploratory phase, and the formation of user habits will require considerable time to develop. In practice, users primarily seek the most cost-effective pricing and optimal routes to their destinations, a problem that current AI ride-hailing solutions have yet to address.