China plans to develop into key global hub of AI innovation by 2030

BEIJING, Oct 28: China plans to become a key global hub of artificial intelligence (AI) innovation by 2030, on a par with the world's advanced level in terms of AI theories, technologies and applications.

The country, now the world's second-largest holder of AI-based published papers and registered patents, includes AI development in its national strategy.

"We will develop advanced manufacturing and promote further integration of the Internet, big data and artificial intelligence with the real economy," said Chinese President Xi Jinping in his report to the just concluded 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China at the Great Hall of the People in central Beijing.

Chinese technology giant Baidu inked an agreement of strategic cooperation with Xiamen-based bus manufacturer King Long last week, agreeing to test the water in small production and trial operation of commercial self-driving buses.

The two companies are pioneers in Chinese vehicle design, production standards and operation modes for autonomous driving buses.

Baidu's attempt at driverless cars epitomises Chinese enterprises' ambitions to conquer AI technology.

The second-generation auto-pilot buses to be co-developed by Baidu and King Long will feature a full self-driving capability under specific scenarios. They will mainly be used in roads not covered by public transport.

In addition to self-piloting solutions, Baidu's Apollo autonomous driving platform also includes human-vehicle interaction, demand framework under specific scenarios and particular self-driving systems for micro-circulation buses.

AI technology will boost global gross domestic product (GDP) by 14 per cent from now on to 2030, professional services firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) predicted in a report.

China has the talent, data and infrastructure needed to fully embrace AI, Goldman Sachs said in a report on "China's Rise in Artificial Intelligence".

The report noted China's strength as the world's second-largest economy as well as a number of supportive policies for AI development including the "Internet Plus" strategy. China is also the home of Chinese mainland Internet powerhouses Baidu, Alibaba and Tencent, Goldman said.

Courtesy: People's Daily of China. e-mail: [email protected]