On June 13, Meituan recently held the first seminar of its Algorithm Advisory Committee in Beijing. A number of external experts and scholars provided professional suggestions on platform algorithm optimization and rider rights protection, marking the company’s substantial step in the construction of algorithm transparency.
Promoting the "anti-involution" of algorithms requires weighing the interests of multiple parties and considering multiple variables. It is understood that Meituan has launched eight algorithm improvement initiatives since 2024. The algorithm advisory committee established at the beginning of this year is composed of external experts and scholars, aiming to comprehensively consider the concerns of multiple parties and promote the algorithm to be more humane. Mu Rongjun, co-founder of Meituan, said at the meeting that he opposes algorithm involution and that running faster is not the goal. The delivery algorithm needs to balance the multi-party experience of riders, users, and merchants while also considering the overall impact on society.
Meituan officials revealed that Meituan has paid a total of 1.5 billion yuan in premiums for 7 million riders, covering the "new occupational injury" pilot project. The first batch of riders have received subsidies from the rider pension insurance pilot launched in April this year, and coverage is expected to be expanded in the near future. At the same time, the “new occupational injury” pilot will be further expanded to 17 provinces.
In terms of technological improvements, Meituan will launch an "8-hour early warning, 12-hour mandatory rest" anti-fatigue mechanism nationwide in early 2025, and adjust overtime fines to a points reward system. Riders who comply with traffic regulations can receive a "waiting light award." In addition, 27,000 rider-friendly communities and 52,000 rider stations have been put into use, equipped with 1 million smart helmets to provide technical guarantee for delivery safety.
This seminar reflects the increasing emphasis on algorithmic governance in the field of platform economy. Algorithms are not only a technical and commercial issue, but also an important issue related to social equity and sustainable development. With the improvement of relevant policies and regulations and the establishment of industry self-discipline mechanisms, the socialized co-governance model of platform algorithms is expected to be promoted and implemented on a wider scale.