Polish sci-fi writer Rafał Kosik has long imagined a future in his fictions. Now, he finally got to experience some in real life in Guangzhou.
As a featured guest at the 2026 Southern China Book Fair, Kosik penned the official tie-in novel Cyberpunk 2077: No Coincidence and was a contributor to Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. He is a winner of the Janusz A. Zajdel Award, Poland's highest honor in science fiction.
Kosik took a ride in an autonomous vehicle developed by WeRide, a Guangzhou-based global autonomous driving technology company. With no driver at the wheel, the vehicle navigated the city streets on its own, giving the sci-fi writer a glimpse of a future he once only wrote about.
"For me, it's an interesting experience. I didn't expect this to happen," Kosik said.
Standing 600 meters tall, Canton Tower is one of Guangzhou's most recognizable symbols and a spectacular part of the city skyline. Kosik took on the tower wearing an AI-powered exoskeleton.
The exoskeleton was developed by a Guangzhou-based company. It can boost leg strength by 50% and reduce physical exertion by 30% using a self-developed algorithm. The lightweight device weighs as little as 1.7 kilograms.
A Guangdong-made robot greets him, and the world from his imagination becomes real through innovation in Guangzhou.
Reporter: Dai Bosi, Li Fangwang
Cameraman: Zeng Xiangxing
Video editor: Yang Shiyun(Intern)
Poster: Dai Bosi
Wang Junxiang, Li Muzi and Huang Xinyi also contributed to the story.
