Soliciting Artificial Intelligence

[Randy W]

On 3/4/2023 at 11:42 PM, Randy W said:

Chinese firms including Baidu and Alibaba are racing to roll out versions of the chatbots taking the tech world by storm https://aje.io/yb7ujd

from Al Jazeera English on Facebook 
https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera/photos/a.10150243828793690/10161483112333690

China wants AI to rival ChatGPT. Censorship makes that tricky
Chinese firms including Baidu and Alibaba are racing to roll out versions of the chatbots taking the tech world by storm.

It's just another bandwagon for China to jump on.

If you haven’t discussed #ChatGPT in China, you have already fallen behind. The wave of chatting with artificial intelligence (AI) has blown up among zoomers. Launched at the end of November 2022, the number of monthly active users of the AI chat robot passed 100 million in just two months. In contrast, it took nine months for TikTok to draw 100 million monthly active users and two and a half years for Instagram. The race now is to be the first Chinese version of ChatGPT, leaving users wondering who will ultimately prevail in the final AI boom. China’s tech giants, such as Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent, JD.com, and NetEase, have all entered the game. An AI race inspired by ChatGPT is in full swing.

from China Pictorial on Facebook 
https://www.facebook.com/100063559089280/posts/pfbid0iT4bFfH12hWnZ1c2WAbhexq2kSSJU5aNkduPYD9QYSMSPSjFENAbujasSyhTh3nMl/?mibextid=Nif5oz

 

[Randy W]

Beijing calls for more Internet 3.0 research in areas including generative artificial intelligence and virtual reality

• The Beijing municipal government is soliciting subsidised projects researching artificial intelligence, 3D content, and AR and VR applications
• The city is seeking to bolster its efforts in areas it has classified as Internet 3.0 amid national calls for technological self-reliance

from the SCMP

A boy points to an AI robot poster during the 2022 World Robot Conference at Beijing Etrong International Exhibition on August 18, 2022. Photo: Getty Images
 

Quote

 

Beijing has called upon entities registered in the city with scientific research capacity to submit proposals under three fields it has classified as Internet 3.0 technologies: 3D digital content creation, generative AI and research and development of industrial application systems and equipment, which includes augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), according to a notice published on the website of the municipal technology promotion agency on Friday.

Beijing has earmarked 60 million yuan (US$8.6 million) to support up to 12 projects over two years, the notice said.

 . . .

AI, blockchain, high-end computing chips, telecoms, extended reality terminals, and digital content creation are named as the technologies central to Internet 3.0.

Beijing expects to apply these technologies to a range of scenarios that include powering smart cities and industrial manufacturing.

In both the research proposal and working plan, generative AI was the top priority, highlighting Beijing’s growing interest in the field that has become a hot topic since the launch last November of ChatGPT, the popular AI-powered bot from US start-up OpenAI.

 

 

MORE synchronized robot dancing to come?

Edited May 20, 2023 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

China's artificial intelligence frenzy has generated some eyebrow-raising deals; a purchase by Meituan is the latest example. The company on Thursday said it is buying AI firm Light Year from Meituan co-founder and former director Wang Huiwen, who only resigned from the $100 billion food delivery outfit days ago due to health reasons.

from Reuters on Facebook 
https://www.facebook.com/Reuters/posts/pfbid02grHF8WVgWnsQQgZP4po3Uf2mLQzHFhvYZwZ743oFASknkzUG5PnBSpTRJPbuCzqrl

 

Meituan's insider AI deal does not compute

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The company on Thursday said it is buying AI firm Light Year from Meituan co-founder and former director Wang Huiwen, who only resigned from the $100 billion food delivery outfit days ago due to health reasons.

Meituan describes Light Year as a leading AI innovator in China. Yet the startup was only founded in February and has no operating activities; in April, it acquired a money-losing large language model specialist. Just last month, Light Year raised $230 million at a whopping $1 billon valuation, local media reported. Its backers include Meituan CEO Wang Xing and Sequoia Capital China's HongShan fund, which is controlled by a Meituan non-executive director.