China welcomes foreign AI devt: Xi

Wider China-US AI ties needed: biz execs

Government officials and business executives on Monday called for broader cooperation between China and the US to boost the development of artificial intelligence (AI) despite rising concerns over China’s dominance in the sector posing risks to US interests.

In a congratulatory letter to the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) held in Shanghai, Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed that China is willing to share the development opportunities in the digital economy with other countries, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Xi also called for joint efforts to promote AI for the benefit of mankind, Xinhua said.

China and the US are the world’s leaders in AI development with largely cited research papers on the sector and rising start-ups. While the Chinese government has strengthened its policy support to AI, more American tech companies have been seeking to share the dividends of China’s AI development by increasing their presence.

For instance, Microsoft an-

nounced on Monday it would set up a new research and development (R&D) center in Shanghai, as China has become the world’s most innovative and dynamic market, the company said in a statement sent to the Global Times.

Google, a leading firm in AI technologies like machine learning, allows more Chinese developers to access its open-source software TensorFlow, which has been downloaded more than 2 million times since 2015, a Google employee told the Global Times on Monday.

“Chinese tech companies such as JD.com Inc, Xiaomi and NetEase have been developing new AI-powered applications based on our machine learning platform,” he said.

While the US government holds a hostile attitude toward Chinese investment in the AI sector, the Chinese government embraces collaboration with foreign firms to push forward AI development.

“AI is the future trend. With China further opening up, we welcome foreign enterprises and research institutes to develop AI technologies in China,” Chinese Vice Premier Liu He told the WAIC’s opening session.

The US has been considering restricting Chinese investments in AI as it considers the sector vital to US national security, Reuters reported in June, citing US officials. Of particular concern is China’s interest in fields such as AI and machine learning, which have increasingly attracted Chinese capital in recent years, according to the Reuters report.

“China and the US are highly complementary in the internet sector, and the competition between the two countries in AI is similar to that in the Olympic Games, which encourages both sides to grow and innovate,” Ma Huateng, or Pony Ma, CEO of Chinese tech giant Tencent, told the opening session of WAIC.

A new supply chain is now emerging in the global AI industry, Ma noted, and from R&D to the application of technologies, countries need to collaborate to optimize resources.

Collaboration needed

Many worldwide issues such as national security and increased tariff in trade friction exist. However, making AI successful requires an alliance across industries and innovation with fundamental disciplines, Chi-Foon Chan, CEO of US semiconductor company Synopsys, said on Monday.

“In many places, the world can help industries and universities work together,” he told the Global Times.

Sixteen universities and research institutes across the globe, including Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Beijing-based Tsinghua University, Singapore-based Nanyang Technological University and Chinese tech start-up SenseTime’s research division formed a global AI academic alliance on Monday in Shanghai aimed at facilitating communication among policymakers and improving investment in the sector.

As economic, political and technological giants, China and the US are responsible for working together in disruptive technologies, Harry Shum, executive vice president of Microsoft AI and Research Group, noted at the conference.

China’s edge

China has become a global AI powerhouse with a surge in AI startups, noted Liu Duo, president of the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology. “And the number of Chinese AI firms has exceeded 1,000, ranking second in the world,” she said.

Since 2015, the number of AI-related patent applications has also been increasing in China, and technologies such as speech and visual recognition have been put into practical use with a huge market potential, Liu told the Global Times.

“Compared to the US, China has the edge in data volume and market scale, while computing power and algorithms – two other major factors for AI development – need to be further enhanced,” she said.