In anticipation of the upcoming annual meeting of the national government and major political advisory body, where there is an expectation of higher industrial growth, the head of China’s financial planning body conducted a tour of artificial intelligence firms and research institutes.
According to the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), Zheng Shanjie, the chairman, “urged everyone to proactively adapt to the trends of the industrial revolution and professional transformation, enhance technology research and development, promote industry-enabling applications, and expedite the high-quality advancement of the country’s artificial intelligence sector.”
During his visit, Zheng explored Beijing’s Zhiyuan Research Institute, Baidu, 4Paradigm, Baichuan Intelligence, and Beijing Zhipu Huazhang Technology, as reported by the NDRC without further details provided.
Premier Li Qiang is expected to present the government’s work report at the annual sessions of the National People’s Congress and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference scheduled for this week in Beijing.
The focus on technology, crucial for enhancing the nation’s long-term economic outlook, is likely to be a prominent theme in his address.
In an effort to streamline administrative tasks, Chinese officials are increasingly turning to AI and writing robots.
Over the past decade, China has made significant strides in the field of AI, often rivaling or surpassing the United States in areas like facial recognition.
While leading American corporations have introduced cutting-edge products such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT and the recently unveiled text-to-video model Sora, foreign competitors have faced challenges due to factors like high development costs, stringent government regulations, and censorship.
During a forum in Beijing, former Vice Minister of Finance Zhu Guangyao remarked that the United States is seeking to monopolize its position in AI development by erecting barriers, thereby hindering the collaborative potential between the US and China in the field of AI.
Acknowledging the computational power gap with the US, Beijing has laid a strong foundation in AI applications, particularly in business systems and informatization.
A key focus of Beijing’s recent initiatives is the advancement of AI technologies.
State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission chief Zhang Yuzhuo directed state-owned enterprises to play a more significant role in the AI sector, leading to the establishment of several AI computing centers.
In response to US export restrictions, state-owned enterprises are collaborating closely with major firms like Huawei Technologies to develop customized chips, as reported by the China Business Journal.
China Mobile’s major project in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, is slated for completion by April next year, with gradual openings of various sections of the center.
The collaboration between Nvidia and Huawei in AI device capabilities raises questions about Huawei’s prowess in AI chip development.
Upon completion, the center is poised to become Asia’s largest intelligent computing facility, with over 80% of its components manufactured in China.
This development follows China Unicom’s unveiling of a substantial intelligent technology center in Qingdao last year, constructed at a cost of around 3 billion yuan (US$ 417 million).
