China to launch national AI strategy
By Charlene Chin
Government to set up dedicated fund to develop the tech.
Beijing is drafting a national development plan on artificial intelligence, the Chinese Government has revealed.
The plan includes a dedicated fund to adopt the tech in economy, national security, social welfare and environmental protection, Wan Gang, the country’s Minister of Science and Technology said at a press conference on Saturday.
The draft was scheduled to be released after the meeting of the Chinese parliament yesterday, an annual event. China’s internet tech giants are already focusing on AI research.
Baidu, Chinese search giant has opened a new augmented reality lab in Beijing to develop AR marketing tools, while Tencent, social media company started work on its AI lab last April.
AI investment is on the rise in Asia. Last year, China, Korea and Japan purchased nearly half the world’s shipments of 250,000 industrial robots.
AI industry executives surveyed believe that the growth of Big Data will allow smart solutions to deployed across all industries in the region, according to MIT Technology Review.