China's Race for Artificial Intelligence (AI) Technology

[cirr]

China uses AI to prevent suicide

2018-01-23 09:29 Xinhua Editor: Gu Liping

China is using AI technology, including pattern recognition, to identify users who express suicidal thoughts on microblog site Weibo in order to to prevent suicide attempts.

Zhu Tingshao, a researcher with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, conducted a two-year study of online suicidal ideation and set up an AI account to help those who are suffering.

"Suicide hotlines and intervention centers are the most prevalent methods for suicide prevention. Yet only 20 percent of people with suicidal inclinations are willing to seek help. Therefore, web-based research is significant," said Zhu.

According to a paper published last December in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, in 2016, Zhu's team recruited 4,222 microbloggers who had expressed suicidal thoughts in a bid to find language patterns the AI could learn from.

"We used AI technology such as natural language processing and deep learning to collect language patterns from suicidal users. Then our AI account sent direct messages to them online, offering comfort and advice while protecting their privacy," Zhu said.

Many people contemplating suicide share their worries online rather than telling a specialist.

Zhu said his account is quite useful in identifying people who express suicidal thoughts online.

The account has reached more than 20,000 users with suicidal thoughts and has provided online counseling since July 2016.

"We need to track the troubled souls first and detect how urgent their psychological situation is. For those who have strong tendencies, we tell them what their problems might be and send them a list of hotlines and professional intervention centers," said Zhu.

Such AI technology has proved efficacious. Scientists often receive replies thanking them for help during tough times.

Zhu said his team has upgraded the AI tool four times and will open it to more people in the future.

"Many don't know they have psychological problems, and some online psychological quizzes are often misleading. We hope this AI tool can help more Weibo users, not just suicidal ones," said Zhu.

http://www.ecns.cn/2018/01-23/289487.shtml

 

[qwerrty]

another ai chip and more to come..

China wants to make the chips that will add AI to any gadget

• By Yiting Sun
• January 24th, 2018

In an office at Tsinghua University in Beijing, a computer chip is crunching data from a nearby camera, looking for faces stored in a database. Seconds later, the same chip, called Thinker, is handling voice commands in Chinese. Thinker is designed to support neural networks. But what’s special is how little energy it uses—just eight AA batteries are enough to power it for a year.

Thinker can dynamically tailor its computing and memory requirements to meet the needs of the software being run. This is important since many real-world AI applications—recognizing objects in images or understanding human speech—require a combination of different kinds of neural networks with different numbers of layers.

In December 2017, a paper describing Thinker’s design was published in the IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits, a top journal in computer hardware design. For the Chinese research community, it was a crowning achievement.

The chip is just one example of an important trend sweeping China’s tech sector. The country’s semiconductor industry sees a unique opportunity to establish itself amid the current wave of enthusiasm for hardware optimized for AI. Computer chips are key to the success of AI, so China needs to develop its own hardware industry to become a real force in the technology (see “China’s AI Awakening”).

“Compared to how China responded to previous revolutions in information technology, the speed at which China is following the current [AI] trend is the fastest,” says Shouyi Yin, vice director of Tsinghua University’s Institute of Microelectronics and the lead author of the Thinker paper, referring to the effort to design neural-network processors in China.

Even as China has become a manufacturing hub of solar panels and smartphones, the country’s semiconductor industry lags far behind that of the U.S. Between January and September 2017, China spent $182.8 billion importing integrated circuits—a 13.5 percent increase from the previous year, according to the China Semiconductor Industry Association. Major U.S. tech companies, including Google and Intel, as well as a few startups, are developing chips for AI applications (see “The Race to Power AI’s Silicon Brains”).

In a three-year action plan to develop AI, published by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology in December 2017, the government laid out a goal of being able to mass-produce neural-network processing chips by 2020.

A schematic shows different elements of a chip called Thinker, developed at Tsinghua University in Beijing.

While it is possible to run AI software using existing chips such as the powerful graphics chips or FPGAs (a kind of blank chip that can be reconfigured on the fly), those designs are expensive and do not lend themselves to small devices that use batteries. That’s why Yin’s team at Tsinghua developed Thinker.

Thinker could be embedded in a wide range of devices, such as smartphones, watches, home robots, or equipment stationed in remote areas. Yin’s team plans to launch the first product fitted with Thinker this March.

Similar projects are under way elsewhere in China. In late January, a research team at the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Computing Technology (ICT) will have a local semiconductor manufacturer produce a small batch of chips for use in robots. The chip, called Dadu, has two cores—one for running neural networks and another for controlling motion. The neural core runs the algorithms for vision but also allows the motion core to plan the optimal route for reaching a destination or the best motion for grabbing an object.

Yinhe Han, director of the institute’s Cyber Computing Lab and head of the robot chip project, envisions a slew of applications, including robots that deliver coffee and drones controlled with hand gestures. The advantage of developing a system like this in China, he says, is the large user base, which makes updating chip design based on user experience faster.

China has tried, and failed, to shake up the chip industry before. In 2001 the ICT assembled a team to develop desktop CPUs. That team became the kernel of a Chinese chipmaker called Loongson, but the company’s products never became as widely used as the founders would have liked.

China’s integrated-circuit industry has expanded rapidly, accounting for 58 percent of the worldwide growth in the integrated-circuit market from 2000 to 2016. But in 2016, China’s share of worldwide semiconductor fabrication capacity was still only 14.2 percent, according to PwC. In a manufacturing policy announced by the central government in 2015, called Made in China 2025, chip design and fabrication was one of the key areas in which the government asked for a breakthrough.

However, Chinese chip startups find themselves in an environment that’s vastly different from the one that gave birth to Intel or Nvidia. Businesses have taken to cloud computing in droves, meaning there may be less of a market for off-the-shelf hardware, says Dongrui Fan, president of SmarCo, a Beijing-based startup that designs an AI chip for data centers that process video footage.

But China’s AI companies are increasingly also developing their own hardware.

“In the future, companies that only make chips may be fewer and fewer,” says Fengxiang Ma, director of ASIC design at Horizon Robotics, a Beijing-based startup focused on applying AI techniques in driving and cameras. In December 2017, Horizon released two computer vision chips. They can be used to enable vehicles to recognize pedestrians or help shopping malls find patterns in visitor traffic. Since its founding in 2015, the company has grown to more than 300 employees.

Ma says Horizon Robotics is not a chip company, but it designs the chips for its products in-house for better product performance and lower production cost.

For now, Chinese chip researchers have many problems to solve: how to commercialize their chip designs, how to scale up, and how to navigate a world of computing being transformed by AI. What’s not lacking, though, is ambition. “As chip researchers, we all have dreams,” says Yinhe Han of ICT. “We’ll see how far we can leap.”

https://www.technologyreview.com/s/609954/china-wants-to-make-the-chips-that-will-add-ai-to-any-gadget/

 

[cirr]

AI-enabled smart homes coming soon

2018-01-25 11:24 China Daily Editor: Zhang Shiyu

Visitors look at a "smart mirror", which can monitor people's skin conditions, at the smart home products center of leading Chinese home appliance maker Midea Group in Foshan, South China's Guangdong province. (Photo/China Daily)

Traditional manufacturers are pressing ahead as industry enters period of fast expansion thanks to new technologies

Cutting-edge technologies are making life more convenient, and upgrading one's home with the latest such technology has become a new engine driving China's economy. More and more affluent consumers are pursuing a smarter, high-end lifestyle, which has given a big boost to the smart home market.

The AI-powered smart home is the future, experts say. According to statistics from market consultancy Statista, China's smart home market is expected to reach a value of 130 billion yuan ($20.3 billion) by 2018, with an annual growth rate of about 48 percent, a big jump from the 40.3 billion yuan market in 2015.

And the growth potential is huge, as smart home technology has only reached a penetration rate of 5 percent. The smart home industry is therefore poised to enter a period of rapid expansion, according to the consultancy.

Traditional home appliance manufacturers are pressing ahead with smart home products, such as air conditioners, televisions and refrigerators, by applying artificial intelligence technologies to transform and innovate products, as well as to grab a larger market share.

Leading Chinese home appliance maker Midea Group has announced M-Smart, a smart home system designed for the future of family living. In the past few years, the company has invested 20 billion yuan into research and development of smart home solutions, including the establishment of 17 research centers in eight countries, with more than 10,000 employees involved in R&D. It has more than 26,000 authorized patents.

As Midea is at the forefront of R&D, its intelligent air conditioners, which have a smart eye, a Wi-Fi function and a camera, can adjust the temperature to adapt to human activity in a room. The air conditioners can also respond to voice commands.

Its smart refrigerators are equipped with high-definition touch screens and sensors, which show the nutrition of the food inside. Some microwave ovens also offer voice activation and Wi-Fi-controlled functions.

Hu Ziqiang, chief technology officer of Midea, said technological innovation will help Midea keep driving ahead as Chinese consumers need a smarter home environment. Its smart home appliances have brought convenience to consumers with a centralized control system.

Moreover, Midea and China's second-largest e-commerce player JD signed a 20 billion yuan strategic cooperation agreement last year. The two sides will deepen cooperation in the fields of smart home appliances.

"JD can provide online technology, big data analysis and intelligent cloud platforms for manufacturing enterprises. It is an ideal strategic partner for Midea, which is actively seeking transformation," said Fang Hongbo, chairman of Midea.

Sichuan Changhong Electronic Co Ltd, a manufacturer of televisions, has produced TVs that can comprehend semantic nuances and distinct features of each voice, memorize users' preferences and viewing habits, and then come up with recommendations to suit the users at any given time.

"Artificial intelligence, with big data as its core, is an important application and development direction for the internet of things," said Yang Dan, chief technology officer of Changhong.

Internet heavyweights have stepped up efforts to march into the smart home market.

Chinese tech behemoth Xiaomi Corp is expanding beyond smartphones. There are products under its subbrand Mi Ecosystem, which includes air purifiers, cleaning robots, rice cookers, smart lamps, air conditioners and cameras.

These products are internet-connected and Wi-Fi-enabled and can be controlled via the Mi Home app. Lei Jun, founder and CEO of Xiaomi, said they aimed to "promote an upgrade in Chinese manufacturing with a new concept of 'Made in China' products."

Chinese internet search giant Baidu Inc is also tapping into the smart home sector, unveiling three AI-powered hardware products.

The smart speaker Raven H takes advantage of the company's advancements in voice recognition and AI, providing an instant gateway to Baidu's vast online resources and allowing users to use voice to perform a wide range of tasks including searching for information, playing music and hailing a taxi.

Raven R, an automated six-axis robot with emotional intelligence, has six humanlike "joints" that allow it to move flexibly following a user's command, and express emotions to enhance the interactive experience.

"These smart speakers and AI home robots will help people's everyday lives and bring them an experience once only seen in sci-fi movies," said Jesse Lyu, founder of Raven Tech who last year joined Baidu as the general manager of its intelligent hardware unit.

"The smart home industry is now developing by leaps and bounds, thanks to the advancement of internet of things, big data and other technologies. With people's increasing requirement for a high-quality life, the AI-enabled smart home sector has a promising future," said Zhang Yanbin, assistant director of Beijing-based consultancy All View Cloud.

http://www.ecns.cn/business/2018/01-25/290009.shtml

 

[TaiShang]

Chinese chips may stand out in age of AI: MIT Tech Review

Xinhua | Updated: 2018-01-25

NEW YORK - Chinese chips could catch up and even stand out in the current Artificial Intelligence (AI) boom, according to a news report published in a US technology magazine Wednesday.

In the current wave of enthusiasm for hardware optimized for AI, China's semiconductor industry sees a unique opportunity to establish itself, said the report published by MIT Technology Review, a magazine founded by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The article cites Chinese chip "Thinker" as an example. Designed to support neural networks, "Thinker" could recognize objects in images and understand human speech. What makes the chip stand out is its ability to "dynamically tailor its computing and memory requirements to meet the needs of the software being run."

Also remarkable is a mere eight AA batteries are enough to power it for a year.

"The chip is just one example of an important trend sweeping China's tech sector," said the report.

In a three-year action plan to develop AI, published by China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology in December 2017, the government laid out a goal of being able to mass-produce neural-network processing chips by 2020.

"Compared to how China respond to previous revolutions in information technology, the speed at which China is following the current trend is the fastest," the review quoted Shouyi Yin, vice director of Tsinghua University's Institute of Microelectronics as saying. Yin is also the lead author of a paper describing the design behind "Thinker."

The article also listed some difficulties that Chinese chip researchers faced, such as how to commercialize their chip designs, how to scale up, and how to navigate a world of computing being transformed by AI.

"What's not lacking though, is ambition," said the report.

 

[TaiShang]

AI-enabled smart homes coming soon

By Fan Feifei | China Daily | Updated: 2018-01-25

Visitors look at a "smart mirror", which can monitor people's skin conditions, at the smart home products center of leading Chinese home appliance maker Midea Group in Foshan, South China's Guangdong province. [Photo/China Daily]

Traditional manufacturers are pressing ahead as industry enters period of fast expansion thanks to new technologies

Cutting-edge technologies are making life more convenient, and upgrading one's home with the latest such technology has become a new engine driving China's economy. More and more affluent consumers are pursuing a smarter, high-end lifestyle, which has given a big boost to the smart home market.

The AI-powered smart home is the future, experts say. According to statistics from market consultancy Statista, China's smart home market is expected to reach a value of 130 billion yuan ($20.3 billion) by 2018, with an annual growth rate of about 48 percent, a big jump from the 40.3 billion yuan market in 2015.

And the growth potential is huge, as smart home technology has only reached a penetration rate of 5 percent. The smart home industry is therefore poised to enter a period of rapid expansion, according to the consultancy.

Traditional home appliance manufacturers are pressing ahead with smart home products, such as air conditioners, televisions and refrigerators, by applying artificial intelligence technologies to transform and innovate products, as well as to grab a larger market share.

Leading Chinese home appliance maker Midea Group has announced M-Smart, a smart home system designed for the future of family living. In the past few years, the company has invested 20 billion yuan into research and development of smart home solutions, including the establishment of 17 research centers in eight countries, with more than 10,000 employees involved in R&D. It has more than 26,000 authorized patents.

As Midea is at the forefront of R&D, its intelligent air conditioners, which have a smart eye, a Wi-Fi function and a camera, can adjust the temperature to adapt to human activity in a room. The air conditioners can also respond to voice commands.

Its smart refrigerators are equipped with high-definition touch screens and sensors, which show the nutrition of the food inside. Some microwave ovens also offer voice activation and Wi-Fi-controlled functions.

Hu Ziqiang, chief technology officer of Midea, said technological innovation will help Midea keep driving ahead as Chinese consumers need a smarter home environment. Its smart home appliances have brought convenience to consumers with a centralized control system.

Moreover, Midea and China's second-largest e-commerce player JD signed a 20 billion yuan strategic cooperation agreement last year. The two sides will deepen cooperation in the fields of smart home appliances.

"JD can provide online technology, big data analysis and intelligent cloud platforms for manufacturing enterprises. It is an ideal strategic partner for Midea, which is actively seeking transformation," said Fang Hongbo, chairman of Midea.

Sichuan Changhong Electronic Co Ltd, a manufacturer of televisions, has produced TVs that can comprehend semantic nuances and distinct features of each voice, memorize users' preferences and viewing habits, and then come up with recommendations to suit the users at any given time.

"Artificial intelligence, with big data as its core, is an important application and development direction for the internet of things," said Yang Dan, chief technology officer of Changhong.

Internet heavyweights have stepped up efforts to march into the smart home market.

Chinese tech behemoth Xiaomi Corp is expanding beyond smartphones. There are products under its subbrand Mi Ecosystem, which includes air purifiers, cleaning robots, rice cookers, smart lamps, air conditioners and cameras.

These products are internet-connected and Wi-Fi-enabled and can be controlled via the Mi Home app. Lei Jun, founder and CEO of Xiaomi, said they aimed to "promote an upgrade in Chinese manufacturing with a new concept of 'Made in China' products."

Chinese internet search giant Baidu Inc is also tapping into the smart home sector, unveiling three AI-powered hardware products.

The smart speaker Raven H takes advantage of the company's advancements in voice recognition and AI, providing an instant gateway to Baidu's vast online resources and allowing users to use voice to perform a wide range of tasks including searching for information, playing music and hailing a taxi.

Raven R, an automated six-axis robot with emotional intelligence, has six humanlike "joints" that allow it to move flexibly following a user's command, and express emotions to enhance the interactive experience.

"These smart speakers and AI home robots will help people's everyday lives and bring them an experience once only seen in sci-fi movies," said Jesse Lyu, founder of Raven Tech who last year joined Baidu as the general manager of its intelligent hardware unit.

"The smart home industry is now developing by leaps and bounds, thanks to the advancement of internet of things, big data and other technologies. With people's increasing requirement for a high-quality life, the AI-enabled smart home sector has a promising future," said Zhang Yanbin, assistant director of Beijing-based consultancy All View Cloud.

 

[TaiShang]

DiDi sets up AI labs

Source:Xinhua Published: 2018/1/27


Chinese ride-sharer Didi Chuxing has opened artificial intelligence labs to develop new transportation ideas, the company announced Friday.

The labs are an expansion of DiDi's research network intended to attract top professionals to push the frontiers of smart traffic technology.

With a team of over 200 scientists and engineers, DiDi AI Labs will work on natural language processing, computer vision for operational research, deep learning, statistics and other innovative technology.

DiDi will make use of technology developed at the labs to improve user experience and efficiency.

At DiDi, AI is enabling more convenient commutes, providing higher incomes for tens of millions of drivers and making travel safer for everyone, according to Jean Liu, president of Didi Chuxing.

 

[cirr]

China to build brain science labs to nurture smarter students

2018-01-27 11:05

Xinhua Editor: Feng Shuang

Chinese students are known for their focus on rote learning and high test scores, much of which has been attributed to the rise of tutoring companies. Now more and more companies are working on how to alleviate the burdens on students with artificial intelligence (AI) technology.

Tomorrow Advancing Life (TAL), a Chinese K-12 education company, unveiled its brain science program in Beijing Thursday, announcing a plan to build six global labs with the assistance of scientists from universities like Stanford.

"The latest brain science research has proven the possibility of nurturing smarter brains using AI technology. Once we know how brains react to one specific course they are learning, we can provide personalized courses to different students so as to fully activate their brains," said Huang Yan, TAL's chief technology officer.

Within three years, it will build 500-member research and development team who specialize in AI and brain science application, according to Huang.

"On the one hand, we will monitor trainee's brain functions with class observation and diagnosis in a bid to build a system that can track learning process effectively. On the other hand, we will upgrade the assessment scale accordingly," said Yang Ying, head of the program, also a neuroscience researcher.

Products must be designed under scientific guidance and based on the data collected from real learning situations, said Yang.

According to a KPMG study released last year, venture capital investment in China shifted from big data in 2015 towards AI in 2017.

Transformational new technology such as AI or digital technology are bringing new personalized education to both tutoring centers and formal schools.

Chinese high-tech companies like Baidu and iFlytek have spent big in applying their cutting edge technology to the field of education. IFlytek opened a free automated test scoring platform in 2014, which has attracted more than 10,000 schools.

"Teachers can detect a student's learning pattern from mistakes they have made. The platform has enabled teachers to focus more on class interaction, instead of test scores," said Jiang Tao, vice president of iFlytek.

Over the past decade, Chinese government spending on research has seen double-digit growth on average annually, according to the KPMG study. China is aiming to nurture well-rounded talent who can face fierce competition in the future, instead of pedants.

"One good thing about the brain science program is it can make learning more efficient allowing students more spare time for arts, PE or projects that can arouse their interests and promote critical thinking," said Huang.

http://www.ecns.cn/2018/01-27/290307.shtml

 

[cirr]

China’s Army Recruits Top Scientists to Develop Quantum Technology and AI

BY SPUTNIK NEWS · PUBLISHED JANUARY 27, 2018 · UPDATED JANUARY 27, 2018

China’s Army Recruits Top Scientists to Develop Quantum Technology and AI from Sputnik News

China is looking to the future as it embarks on a mission to develop cutting-edge technologies in order to become the new military tech superpower.

China has selected 120 top specialists to work in a leading research institute to push the development of artificial intelligence and quantum technologies for military applications, the South China Morning Post reports, citing state media.

It’s been reported that the People’s Liberation Army of China (PLA) has attracted experts to work in the Chinese Academy of Military Sciences, with more than 95 percent of researchers having PhD degrees in certain fields, specializing particularly in quantum technology and artificial intelligence.

The publication notes that such a measure is being undertaken as Beijing intents to become a military-technical superpower and to catch up with the US armed forces.

“President Xi Jinping has launched a massive overhaul and modernization of the country’s military and he said in a speech given to the military science academy last July that Chinashould aim at building world-class military technology institutes,” the South China Morning Post reported.

Collin Koh, a military expert told the publication, that China’s aim to enter into these military tech fields is also due to its military strategy which looks at “nullifying via asymmetrical means the general US military superiority in envisaged regional flashpoints such as the Taiwan Strait,” he said.

A group led by Pan Jianwei at the University of Science and Technology of China, is one of the teams spearheading China’s research into quantum technology. According to the analyst, China could gain a military advantage if it can learn to apply breakthroughs in quantum technology.

Quantum technologies permit the development of modern equipment and arms ranging from new satellites that can track military aircraft to cracking encrypted enemy codes.

“Quantum technology could be game changing and the successful integration of quantum technology with China’s regular military forces could profoundly change the regional security balance, which is already moving towards Beijing’s favor,” Ben Ho, a researcher at the military studies program at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University, told the South China Morning Post.

https://thedailycoin.org/2018/01/27...top-scientists-develop-quantum-technology-ai/

 

[cirr]

Self-driving trucks used in Zhuhai port and to be tested in Shanghai

2018-01-30 11:06 shine.cn Editor: Li Yan

Self-driving trucks adopting the latest artificial intelligence applications are being used in Zhuhai port and will be tested too in Shanghai port, said a Shanghai-based startup which develops the trucks.

Self-driving trucks can help logistic companies and ports improve work efficiency and save labor cost, according to industry watchers.

These self-driving trucks, used in Zhuhai Port in Guangdong Province, can also see the environment, navigate and decide on the best routes to move containers within the port using AI and chips developed by startup Westwell.

The trucks feature latest technologies in machine learning, mobile robotic product development, visual recognition and truck management system, which are vital in an unmanned smart port system in the future, said Tan Limin, chief executive of Westwell.

After a half year of testing, the self-driving trucks used in Zhuhai are "safe", according to Westwell.

The startup has also just signed a cooperation deal with Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Co to develop self-driving trucks to move containers in the city's port. Shanghai-listed Zhenhua is the major machinery supplier for Shanghai's smart port systems in near future.

China's national strategy aims to develop a core AI market worth over 150 billion yuan by 2020, according to the State Council, or Cabinet.

http://www.ecns.cn/business/2018/01-30/290638.shtml

 

[onebyone]

China has gathered 120 researchers from around the military to work for its top research institute as part of a push to develop military applications for artificial intelligence and quantum technology.

More than 95 percent of the new recruits enlisted into the academy hold PhD degrees and are highly specialized in certain fields, particularly artificial intelligence assisted unmanned vehicles and quantum technology.

China has previously plans to spend billions making AI and Quantum computing research centers. They will spend tens of billions to dominate AI and Quantum technology.

China has three year AI action plan

China has a three year plan for AI – four key tasks based on in-depth investigations and studies, a total of 17 products or areas:

1. focus on nurturing and developing intelligent products such as smart car, intelligent service robot, intelligent unmanned aerial vehicle, medical imaging aided diagnosis system, video image identification system, intelligent voice interactive system, intelligent translation system, smart home product, etc. Intelligent products in the economic and social integration.

The above intelligent products have good technology and industrial base. Products in some segments have already taken the lead in the world and are expected to achieve large-scale development under the guidance of the national policies, resulting in a breakthrough from the point of view and driving artificial intelligence In-depth application of technology in the industry.

2. Focus on the development of intelligent sensors, neural network chips, open source open platform and other key areas, tamping the development of artificial intelligence industry hardware and software foundation.

The market competitiveness of these products or platforms is not strong, which is a weak link in the industrial chain and may restrict the development of the industry. It is urgent to speed up innovation and development, lay a solid foundation and fill shortcomings.

3. Deepen the development of intelligent manufacturing, to encourage the exploration and application of the new generation of artificial intelligence technology in all aspects of the industrial field, to enhance the innovation capability of intelligent manufacturing of key technology and equipment and to foster the promotion of a new mode of intelligent manufacturing.

Manufacturing is one of the industries where artificial intelligence first landed. The “Made in China 2025 ” put forward the explicit requirement of “promoting smart manufacturing as the main direction”. In recent years, under the great attention of the Central Party Committee and the State Council, the development of manufacturing industry in our country has made positive progress. In particular, a great deal of work has been done in accelerating the development of intelligent manufacturing and promoting the upgrading and transformation of the manufacturing industry. The “Action Plan” and “Made in China 2025 ” are closely linked, further highlighting the need to accelerate the application of artificial intelligence technology to upgrade the specific tasks, will deepen the development of intelligent manufacturing to provide strong support.

4. build a public support system for industry training resources, standard testing and intellectual property service platform, intelligent network infrastructure, network security and other industries, and improve the environment for the development of artificial intelligence.

https://www.nextbigfuture.com/2018/...rs-as-part-of-military-applications-push.html

 

[Huan]

Next: new quantum military satellites for the PLA?

 

[TaiShang]

Alibaba’s AI platform introduced to Malaysia to improve urban traffic

By Sun Wenyu (People's Daily Online) 15:50, January 30, 2018

On Jan. 29, Chinese tech giant Alibaba’s artificial intelligence (AI) platform “City Brain” has been officially introduced to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to improve traffic regulation, municipal planning, and environmental protection.

It will be the first time for the city to apply AI technology to urban governance.

In the first phase, the AI platform will help 281 crossroads in Kuala Lumpur to ease traffic pressure through smart signal control, accident detection, and priority for emergency vehicles.

It is another major move of Alibaba in Southeast Asia after the company launched its cloud platform in Malaysia three months ago.

The CEO of Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) Dato’ Yasmin Mahmood said that the City Brain will not only do real-time analysis and automatically allocate public resources, but also encourage local application of AI technology.

According to Hu Xiaoming, president of Alibaba Cloud Computing, 2018 marks the fourth year of the company’s global services, and also the second year of the launching of the Electronic World Trade Platform (eWTP) in Malaysia.

With successful industrial application, China’s AI technology will provide services for more cities in the future after Kuala Lumpur, he noted.

In China, the City Brain has been launched in seven cities, increasing traffic efficiency by 15%.

***

SP12?

***

@powastick

 

[powastick]

Alibaba’s AI platform introduced to Malaysia to improve urban traffic

By Sun Wenyu (People's Daily Online) 15:50, January 30, 2018

On Jan. 29, Chinese tech giant Alibaba’s artificial intelligence (AI) platform “City Brain” has been officially introduced to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to improve traffic regulation, municipal planning, and environmental protection.

It will be the first time for the city to apply AI technology to urban governance.

In the first phase, the AI platform will help 281 crossroads in Kuala Lumpur to ease traffic pressure through smart signal control, accident detection, and priority for emergency vehicles.

It is another major move of Alibaba in Southeast Asia after the company launched its cloud platform in Malaysia three months ago.

The CEO of Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) Dato’ Yasmin Mahmood said that the City Brain will not only do real-time analysis and automatically allocate public resources, but also encourage local application of AI technology.

According to Hu Xiaoming, president of Alibaba Cloud Computing, 2018 marks the fourth year of the company’s global services, and also the second year of the launching of the Electronic World Trade Platform (eWTP) in Malaysia.

With successful industrial application, China’s AI technology will provide services for more cities in the future after Kuala Lumpur, he noted.

In China, the City Brain has been launched in seven cities, increasing traffic efficiency by 15%.

***

SP12?

***

@powastick

Been to China, I don't know why how they manage city traffic, seems to be smoother than Malaysia. Even at peak hours. I doubt it would help much, since Malaysian government city planners seems to be stuck in 1970s.

 

[cirr]

Smart homes, healthcare to boost demand for AI-enabled products

2018-01-31 11:48

China Daily Editor: Zhang Shiyu

Chinese consumers have high expectations for the application of artificial intelligence in smart homes, healthcare, automobile and transportation, security and fitness, even though the current utilization rate of such devices is relatively low, a new survey said on Tuesday.

About 64.7 percent of consumers in China own digital voice-enabled assistants, but less than 20 percent of them use these assistants frequently, global consultancy firm Accenture said in a study covering 4,060 consumers in 252 cities across the country.

More than 40 percent of Chinese consumers possess wearable devices and 30.8 percent use them every day, while 52.3 percent utilize them occasionally.

About 55 percent of consumers expect AI technologies to be applied in smart home systems, followed by healthcare, automobile, security and fitness.

"The reason lies in these intelligent hardware devices just providing a human-machine interaction interface. They don't bring about any subversive experiences or change consumers' behaviors," said Yu Jin, strategy lead for Accenture China.

Consumers across the globe revealed increasing demand and deeper interactions with standalone voice assistants. Chinese consumers who use voice assistants accounted for 55 percent and were ranked first in the world, nearly 10 percent higher than their US counterparts.

However, consumers face challenges when using intelligent devices, especially digital voice assistants. Voice recognition not working properly is the most common challenge for consumers, according to Accenture.

These assistants have yet to be developed, with insufficient application scenarios, which are lower than consumers' expectations, said Huang Weiqiang, managing director of Accenture China.

Huang said with the rapid development of big data and machine learning, AI will penetrate into fields that are related to people's daily lives, such as automobiles, con-sumer goods, retail, finance and healthcare.

Accenture also said nearly 40 percent of consumers have already bought intelligent home appliance products, and nearly 60 percent of them use them frequently, higher than the proportion of voice assistants.

Traditional home appliance manufacturers are pressing ahead with smart home products, such as air conditioners, televisions and refrigerators, by applying artificial intelligence technologies to transform and innovate products, as well as to grab a larger market share.

The consultancy said in a survey released last year that AI could accelerate China's economic growth rate from 6.3 percent to 7.9 percent by 2035, by transforming the nature of work and opening new sources of value and growth.

The report also said that AI has the potential to boost China's labor productivity by 27 percent by 2035－driven by innovative AI technologies that enable people to make more efficient use of their time. AI is poised to boost China's gross added value by $7.1 trillion by 2035.

http://www.ecns.cn/business/2018/01-31/290852.shtml

 

[qwerrty]

Baidu bolsters AI division by launching two new labs and hiring scientists
http://www.thedrum.com/news/2018/01...-launching-two-new-labs-and-hiring-scientists

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DeepBrain Chain, the First Artificial Intelligence Computing Platform Driven by Blockchain
https://www.businesswire.com/news/h...ficial-Intelligence-Computing-Platform-Driven

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Tencent's AI defeated a Go grandmaster despite a handicap
Google's AlphaGo AI last year beat the same player without one
https://www.wired.com/story/tencent-software-beats-go-champ-showing-chinas-ai-gains/

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Samsung newly invests in Chinese machine vision firm
The South Korean tech behemoth recently invested $20 million in Vion Technologies, a Chinese AI firm specializing in machine vision, in partnership with Swiss automation company ABB..
http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20171211000902

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