Friday, March 29, 2019

China's AI Dream: The Plan and the Players

From Macro Polo, two of the five sections of their China AI feature:

The Plan
National Goals, Local Implementation
In July 2017, the State Council’s New Generation Artificial Intelligence Development Plan set a bold headline goal: make China “the world’s primary AI innovation center” by 2030. But the plan didn’t present a detailed roadmap for achieving that goal, something that would be impossible for promoting an omni-use technology like AI.

Instead, the headline goal acted as a high-profile signal to local government officials—mayors, university presidents, provincial transportation chiefs, etc.—that they would be rewarded for promoting AI in their jurisdiction. Those officials are responding by procuring AI products, subsidizing AI companies, and adapting both infrastructure and policies to promote the technology.

Though the national plan called for both commercial applications and fundamental research breakthroughs, these local projects have thus far focused heavily on pushing specific AI applications rather than advancing fundamental research in which the US clearly leads....MORE
The Companies
Entrepreneurship and innovation are strongly correlated in China’s AI ecosystem. While many of its traditional industries remain dominated by state-owned enterprises, China’s AI landscape is composed of a vibrant mix of private technology giants, AI startups, and venture capital investors (both private and state-backed).

The alliances and rivalries connecting these players will shape China’s AI landscape for years to come. This web of relationships is complex, which is why we’ve curated a list of China’s top AI-related companies in the interactive feature below....MORE

...MUCH MORE

The navigation sidebar for the series to date: