Ruqi Mobility COO Han Feng: The Stronger the World Model, The More Real Data Becomes a Barrier
Han Feng, COO of Ruqi Mobility, argues that while synthetic data excels at expanding known long-tail scenarios, it cannot replace real data for discovering unknown issues and calibrating models. Ruqi chooses to build data infrastructure using its Robotaxi network rather than training large models itself, with AI data service revenue exceeding 100 million yuan in H1 2026.
In the wave of Physical AI, many autonomous driving and robotics companies attempt to use world models to generate synthetic data, aiming to reduce collection costs. However, Han Feng, COO of Ruqi Mobility, proposes a counter-intuitive view: the stronger the world model becomes, the more important real data remains. He argues that synthetic data is suitable for expanding dangerous, rare, and hard-to-repeat long-tail scenarios based on real cases. But the real world contains numerous unpredictable behaviors from traffic participants and environmental changes; these 'unknown problems' can only be discovered by continuously operating real vehicles, which also provide calibration grounds for synthetic results.
Based on this logic, Ruqi Mobility chooses not to train large models itself but to become the data infrastructure behind them, leveraging its existing Robotaxi fleet and offline maintenance network. Han points out that while large algorithm companies have the capability to build their own data loops, large-scale data collection, compliance governance, and annotation are asset-heavy and operation-intensive processes that occupy R&D resources. Ruqi provides deterministic delivery capacity, converting real-world road data generated from daily operations into high-quality assets ready for training pipelines.
This model is transitioning from an add-on monetization of ride-hailing services to an independent business unit. According to Han's disclosure, Ruqi's AI data service has grown rapidly: up 175.8% YoY in H1 2024, 207.0% YoY in H1 2025, and 274.4% YoY in H1 2026, with half-year revenue exceeding 100 million RMB. Although specific client lists are confidential due to agreements, the business serves clients across multiple industries including autonomous driving and internet tech, forming a flywheel effect where 'real business scenarios, compliant data sources, and full-stack AI data capabilities' grow together.