Shanghai unveils rules to promote AI

$14b worth of funding to drive sector development

The Shanghai municipal government on Monday unveiled a series of measures to further advance high-quality growth in the artificial intelligence (AI) sector, according to information from the World Artificial Intelligence Conference 2018 held in the city.

A total of 22 measures have been designed to focus on talent, data and capital in the AI sector. The municipal government will include the AI sector into the city’s strategic emerging industry and will guide social capital to establish funds worth more than 100 billion yuan ($14.6 billion) for AI development, aiming to offer capital support for AI companies. Shanghai will further encourage firms to participate in establishing AI-related standards and relevant safety rules. The city will create about 60 AI applications and more than 100 AI application demonstration projects.

Ma Chunlei, vice secretarygeneral of the Shanghai municipal government, told a press conference in Shanghai on Monday that the city should grab the strategic opportunities in AI development by taking advantage of abundant talent, data resources and sound policies to further advance the growth of the AI industry.

Shanghai will also further open up data in some vital sectors such as government affairs, education, medical care and tourism.