James Peng
As of October 2026, James Peng is chairman and CEO of Pony.ai, the self-driving company he co-founded in December 2016. Before founding it, he worked at Baidu and Google and earned a Stanford PhD. By 2015 he led Baidu's autonomous driving division in the U.S. Pony.ai began road tests in California in 2017 and in China in 2018, and it listed on Nasdaq in November 2024. TIME included him on its 2025 TIME100 AI list.
- Now at
- Pony.AI
Timeline
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By 2016
Head of Baidu's US driving unit
He holds a Stanford PhD and works at Baidu and Google before co-founding Pony.ai. By 2015, he heads Baidu's autonomous driving division in the U.S.
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December 2016
Co-founding Pony.ai
In December 2016, he co-founds Pony.ai with Tiancheng Lou.
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2017–2018
Road tests in California and China
Pony.ai starts testing self-driving cars in California in 2017, then in China in 2018.
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November 2024
A Nasdaq listing
In November 2024, Pony.ai lists on Nasdaq, and he is its co-founder and CEO.
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2025
On TIME's 2025 TIME100 AI list
TIME includes him in its 2025 TIME100 AI list as founder and CEO of Pony.ai.
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As of October 2026
Chairman and CEO of Pony.ai
As chairman and CEO of Pony.ai, he joins a fireside chat at MOVE London 2026.
Sources and credits
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- Our Story - Pony.ai
- Consumers are ready for robotaxis. James Peng of Pony AI wants to make sure they're riding in his | Fortune
- Pony.ai - Wikipedia
- Pony.ai Lists on Nasdaq | Nasdaq
- The 100 Most Influential People in AI 2025
- Pony AI Q2 2026 revenues up 68.8% on Robotaxi surge | Automotive World
- Pony.ai CEO James Peng Joins MOVE London 2026 Fireside Chat on the Future of Autonomous Mobility