China pushes ahead with AI ambitions at World AI Conference
At the 2023 World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai, a three-day event ending on a Monday, experts and tech leaders gathered as China doubled down on building its own AI scene, especially with US tech restrictions in play.
Two new alliances were announced to help local companies rely less on foreign technology.
Two new alliances announced at the conference
China launched the Model-Chip Ecosystem Innovation Alliance to connect AI software makers with homegrown chip giants like Huawei, Biren, and Moore Threads—basically aiming for a full "made-in-China" AI pipeline.
Another group, the Shanghai General Chamber of Commerce AI Committee (with members like SenseTime and StepFun), wants to get more industries using Chinese-developed AI.
These moves are China's answer to US sanctions
These moves are China's answer to US sanctions that limit access to advanced NVIDIA chips.
By teaming up, Chinese tech firms hope to keep pushing forward without missing a beat.
The conference also spotlighted future plans for weaving AI into everything from business to daily life.
What else happened at the event?
Huawei showed off its CloudMatrix 384 system powered by 384 of its own chips—touting performance that rivals NVIDIA's hardware.
Alibaba introduced Quark AI Glasses with voice navigation and payments coming in 2025.
Tencent and Baidu revealed tools for creating interactive virtual worlds and digital livestreamers, hinting at what's next for smart tech in China.