China's Race for Artificial Intelligence (AI) Technology

[TaiShang]

China's core AI industry to exceed 145 bln USD by 2030: report

Source: Xinhua Published: 2018/12/9

Photo: Xinhua


The value of China's core Artificial Intelligence (AI) industries could exceed 1 trillion yuan (145.47 billion U.S. dollars) by 2030, with that of AI-enabled industries more than 10 trillion yuan, a latest report by Bloomberg Intelligence (BI) said.

Titled "China's great tech leap forward", the report said that China's push to commercialize AI technologies, supported by the rollout of the world's biggest 5G network, could position the country as a global leader for technology and innovation.

"Based on the growth trajectory in the past decade, China may overtake the U.S. in global technology-patents share by 2025," said the report.

AI-related industries may exceed 6 percent of China's GDP by 2030, according to the report.

In the report, BI analysts said the country's abundance of data may fuel the acceleration of the industry.

China's breakneck pace of consumer-lifestyle digitization potentially gives researchers unique access to Chinese-language data generated by its 1.4 billion people as they go about their daily activities both online and offline.

Vey-Sern Ling, senior industry analyst at Bloomberg intelligence, said China may overtake global peers in the commercialization of AI technologies, as large amount of capital is likely to continue pouring into the industry.

According to Tsinghua University, private funding for Chinese AI-related companies in 2017 totaled 27.7 billion dollars, equivalent to 70 percent of global investments in the industry.

Data showed China's cumulative venture-capital investments in AI startups had already caught up with the United States by 2016.

Ling, also the lead analyst of the report, said the top-down support is an important factor apart from the multi-faceted user data and the funding available in China to the industry's fast development.

"I don't think anywhere else in the world you have the government so strongly behind, identifying the technology pillar and bearing full weight," said Ling.

He added that China's potential dominance in AI by 2030 may be led by developments in transportation, corporate services, health care and finance.

http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1130967.shtml

 

[TaiShang]

AI technology aims to reduce road deaths in China
China Plus, December 12, 2018

An AI-powered in-car monitoring system will be installed in trucks in China's Shenzhen City next year, in an effort to solve the problem of accidents caused by distracted drivers, reports huanqiu.com.

The system is being developed by EyeSight, an Israel-based artificial intelligence and hardware startup, in partnership with Wuhan Yixun, a navigation company based in China.

The system is designed to track the direction of a driver's gaze, eye movement, and head position, and uses an algorithm to assess the driver's level of drowsiness and distraction. It can also measure pupil dilation, which is a reliable indicator of drug or alcohol use. If the system assesses the driver as being distracted, it will alert the driver.

According to a survey by the World Health Organization, more than 250,000 people are killed in car crashes each year in China – more than 700 lives lost each day. Car crashes are the single largest cause of death for people in China aged 15 to 44.

http://www.china.org.cn/china/2018-12/12/content_74265910.htm

 

[cirr]

Huawei's new AI app improves story time for deaf children

2018-12-10 13:29:31 Xinhua Editor : Gu Liping

StorySign. /Photo via Huawei's website

Learning to read is a time-consuming and complex task for many kids, and for deaf children, it's even more difficult.

Chinese mobile giant Huawei has recently launched StorySign, a free mobile app that translates children's books into sign language, so as to enrich family story times and enhance learning experiences for kids with hearing problems.

When users open the app, an animated girl named Star pops out, and when you hold the smartphone over the page, she will start to recognize and sign the text on screen in real time. Each printed word is highlighted as she goes.

By using a combination of augmented reality and AI technologies, the app is designed to provide more opportunities for deaf children who are underserved in early years reading resources.

The app became available to download for free on both Google Play and Huawei's own AppGallery in 10 European markets on December 4. But it has yet to be confirmed whether it will be available on iPhone.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said in March that around 466 million people worldwide have a disabling hearing loss, including 34 million children.

They also noted that children with deafness should be given the opportunity to learn sign language along with their families to minimize the impact of hearing loss on their development and education.

However, few people know sign language outside the deaf community as 90 percent of deaf children are born to hearing parents.

Supported by charities including the European Union of the Deaf and the British Deaf Association, StorySign is an example of AI technologies with the potential to bridge the gap between the hearing and non-hearing.

"We're very hopeful that it will make a significant impact in the deaf community, helping more deaf children learn how to read at the same level as hearing children," said Mark Wheatley, executive director for the European Union of the Deaf in a statement.

http://www.ecns.cn/news/sci-tech/2018-12-10/detail-ifzanuxq9377378.shtml

 

[JSCh]

China to overtake Europe in AI research
By Angus Mcneice in London | China Daily | Updated: 2018-12-13 09:34

The artificial intelligent robot Zhen Zhen serves visitors at the Shanghai Stock Exchange Building in the Lujiazui financial district in Pudong, Shanghai, on Jan 2, 2018. [Photo/IC]

The nation is set to overtake Europe as the world's biggest contributor to artificial intelligence research within four years, according to a new report.

The study of global AI trends also found that China is attracting more academic talent than it is losing, while Europe, the world's largest AI research market by number of publications, is suffering a "brain drain".

Dutch publisher and analytics company Elsevier carried out the study focusing on the three largest countries and regions contributing to the field of AI - China, the United States and the European Union.

"Europe is still the largest contributor to AI research but continues to lose publication share," the study authors said. "The United States is regaining ground lost in the last five years. China is bound to overtake Europe in publication output in AI in the near future, having already overtaken the United States in 2004."

Elsevier analyzed the number of research paper publications coming out of regions in five-year periods over the last two decades. It found that Europe's share of global AI research has consistently decreased.

Europe contributed 35 percent of publications between 1998 and 2002, falling gradually over each subsequent five-year period to reach 30 percent between 2013 and 2017.

Meanwhile China's share has increased dramatically, from 9 percent of global publications between 1998 and 2002 to 24 percent between 2013 and 2017.

The US lost ground in each five-year period between 1998 and 2012; however the rate of publications rose slightly between 2013 and 2017 to reach 17 percent of the global share.

"China's artificial intelligence research has developed very fast in recent years, increasing its global significance within the field," said Sun Zhenan, a professor at the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Institute of Automation.

He added: "China has unique advantages in applied technology research and development, for example, in the area of face recognition. AI education has been receiving more and more attention in recent years, not only in universities, but also in vocational colleges, and even in secondary and primary schools. This growing AI talent base will result in even greater future development of the AI field in China."

Authors of the report noted that China "aspires to lead globally in AI" and is supported by "ambitious policies and rapid growth". A net "brain gain" of AI researchers also suggests an increasingly attractive research environment.

Over the 20-year period, China has experienced a 0.1 percent surplus in inflow of AI researchers, achieved through a migratory outflow of 3.5 percent versus an inflow of 3.6 percent. The US experienced an inflow surplus of 0.3 percent over the period. Meanwhile in Europe there was a 7.8 percent outflow of researchers compared with a 6.8 percent inflow, contributing to a net loss of AI talent of 1 percent.

The study also found that AI talent is increasingly migrating from the academic sector into industry, and the rise of large tech companies in the US and China may contribute to the European "brain drain".

 

[cirr]

Alipay upgrades facial-recognition system

2018-12-14 09:56:46 China Daily Editor : Sun Tian

An Alipay employee tests the Dragonfly, formerly known as 'Smile to Pay', at a convenience store in Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang province. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Mobile payment giant Alipay on Thursday announced a major upgrade to its 'Smile to Pay' service, aiming to make its facial-recognition process more accessible to merchants and customers.

The new version, dubbed Dragonfly, is essentially a plug-and play device that Alipay claims to be just one-tenth the size of a traditional self-service POS machine and can be placed in a backpack.

Compared with its previous generation, Dragonfly is adaptable to a wide array of terminals and does not require merchants to overhaul their existing Enterprise Resource Planning system. This lowers the threshold for adopting facial-scanning facilities, said Zhong Yao, general manager of Alipay's internet of things business.

"The cost to deploy Dragonfly is 80 percent lower than traditional self-service POS machines which mainly serve large businesses, eliminating barriers to adoption for small and micro merchants, such as convenient stores and fresh market stalls," he told an Alipay Open Day event in Shanghai.

The new gadget includes a 3D structured light camera to improve accuracy, and an upgraded processor to speed up payment times.

Tens of thousands of merchants across 300 cities in China offer Alipay's facial recognition payment. Zhong said the updated functions will be introduced to all Alipay self-service POS machines－including the KFC canteen in Hangzhou where the solution debuted a year ago.

Yuan Linhua, assistant vice-president of marketing at supermarket chain CP Lotus, noted that with the deployment of Alipay's Smile-to-Pay solution, a cashier now can handle up to three POS machines at once, and the efficiency of supermarket checkouts has improved by 50 percent.

Jiangxi Provincial People's Hospital has installed 40 of the machines. According to deputy director Huo Yanan, the move has effectively shortened patient queueing times and reduced the burdens on administrators.

When combined with certain hardware and software innovations, the solution can also effectively prevent forgery and ensure account safety, even if a user attempts to use still photos or recorded videos to abuse the system.

In a video detailing how the payment process works, one woman uses the machine in a variety of different appearances－with a variety of makeup styles and an assortment of wigs. The machine still accurately recognizes her facial features each time for payment.

While preventing biometric spoofing, the system extracts the minimum amount of facial feature data necessary to verify the payment, the company said. The data is algorithmically encrypted to ensure user privacy and cannot be accessed by merchants.

Facial-recognition payment is theoretically a more secure and convenient method than the conventional use of passwords, according to Pan Helin, a postdoctoral fellow at the Chinese Academy of Fiscal Sciences. He predicts the sector to experience "explosive" growth in the coming three years.

 

[cirr]

Cheek for check-in: Alibaba opens AI 'future hotel'

2018-12-18 15:36:50 Xinhua Editor : Gu Liping

Chinese internet giant Alibaba on Tuesday opened a hotel loaded with artificial intelligence (AI) and robots, automating a series of procedures like check-in, lights control and room service.

FlyZoo Hotel, opened in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, where Alibaba is headquartered, is known as the company's first "future hotel".

Customers can check into the hotel by simply scanning their faces. The facial recognition system installed in the hotel also enables customers to use their faces as key cards to open doors and access other hotel services.

Users can also control the lights, television and curtains in the room via Alibaba's voice-activated digital assistant, while robots are deployed to serve dishes, cocktails and coffee.

Hotel bookings and check-out can also be done with a few clicks on mobile through an app.

"The AI-based solution can help customers save time and relieve hotel employees from repetitive work," said Wang Qun, CEO of FlyZoo Hotel.

The hotel is the latest example of Chinese tech companies' foray into traditional industries such as the hospitality sector.

E-commerce giant JD.com announced in October its strategy to put smart home and electronic devices sold on its platform into hotels, in an effort to boost online sales.

In July, Baidu teamed up with Intercontinental Hotels Group in Beijing to allow guests to use its voice-controlled assistant to adjust room temperature and order room service at ease.

Before that, social media giant Tencent introduced QQfamily, a similar tech solution for hotel operators, in the southern city of Zhuhai last year.

"We want to install a 'smart brain' for hotels," said Wang. "In the future, we will continue to make hotels smarter and more automated, as well as create more customized experiences for consumers."

 

[JSCh]

AI startup contributing to nation's medical reform
By Zhou Wenting in Hangzhou | China Daily | Updated: 2018-12-19 09:50

The booth of Deepwise.com at an international medical equipment and technology exhibition in Beijing on Aug 17. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Deepwise.com, a startup that is using artificial intelligence to interpret medical imaging, said its final goal is to help people nationwide to access the same high-quality standard of medical services.

The company said it aims to contribute to the country's medical system reform, with a focus on improving community hospitals.

By playing a larger role in the screening and early detection of major diseases, such local facilities will eventually reduce the medical burden on individuals and the country, according to Deepwise.

However, doctors in community hospitals are generally less well-trained and experienced than those in larger hospitals, said Qiao Xin, co-founder and CEO of the company.

Deepwise.com's AI system gives detailed reports of medical images from top-rated public and community hospitals. The tech startup specializes in supporting facilities to achieve a higher diagnosis accuracy rate and to relieve doctors' workload, especially in remote and less-developed regions.

Its independently developed system is based on machine learning and deep learning technology. So far, the system's accuracy has reached 95 percent, higher than the average level among human doctors, said Qiao.

He added that the system has been used in more than 200 hospitals all over the country since last year, and more than 20,000 reports are produced by the system each day.

Leading hospitals like Peking University First Hospital and the Chinese PLA General Hospital in Beijing, and Shanghai Chest Hospital are using the system to interpret CT scans. The system gives a report first and then doctors will double check the results, Qiao said.

Deepwise claims to be the country's largest player in the industry. The company has a research and development team of more than 60 people, and it forecasts its research and development investment will hit 50 million yuan ($7.25 million) next year.

Deepwise.com's system has mainly been used in medical imaging to screen for lung cancer, breast cancer, cerebral hemorrhages and cerebral infarctions. It is expected to expand to more diseases, according to the company.

According to Qiao, most foreign competitors can only work on medical imaging to screen one type of disease.

"The reason that we began with such diseases is that they threaten people's health severely. Lung cancer and breast cancer are among the top killers for men and women, respectively," Qiao said.

The company is taking steps to expand overseas, with the countries and regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative as a main focus.

 

[TaiShang]

Double-deck AI tour bus debuts in Shanghai

Xinhua Published: 2018-12-19


A fleet of sightseeing buses equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) technology have started trial operation Wednesday in Shanghai.

A tourist gets on the bus through facial recognition in Shanghai, December 18, 2018. [Photo: VCG]

Co-developed by Chinese search engine giant Baidu and a Shanghai-based tourism company, the double-deck tour bus aims to make travel more convenient for tourists through AI technology.

Tourists are allowed to get on the bus through facial recognition -- no tickets required. Meanwhile, the wireless translators on the bus are able to provide diverse services for tourists, including translation, answering questions and audio guides.

The translator supports multiple languages including English, Japanese, Korean, Thai, Russian, Spanish, German and Arabic.

So far, there are two tour routes, covering the most famous and classic travel destinations in Shanghai.

The buses will start official operation from January 2019. A fleet of 10 tour buses will be initially put into use and another 10 buses will join the fleet later next year.

Baidu and Shanghai inked a strategic cooperative framework in November to promote the construction of Shanghai as a smart city.

 

[cirr]

China releases first short video AI production platform

Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-28 13:00:24|Editor: ZD

CHENGDU, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- China's state-run Xinhua News Agency and internet giant Alibaba on Thursday jointly launched the country's first short video intelligent production platform to improve news reporting efficiency.

The platform, with the domain name "magic.shuwen.com.", made its debut at the 6th China Emerging Media Industry Integration and Development Conference in Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province.

As the first application of artificial intelligence (AI) technology in the field of media integration, the platform is independently developed by Xinhua Zhiyun Technology Co. Ltd., a joint venture founded by Xinhua and Alibaba.

At the conference, the platform gave a real-time demonstration of the short video intelligent production process. On Thursday morning alone, it produced 186 short videos, among which 97 were produced by AI and the other 89 by man-machine collaboration.

Currently, all domestic media outlets can use the platform to produce high-quality short videos after applying for certification via the website, according to the conference.

With the advent of the 5G era, short videos will become the main carrier of news reporting in the future. Liu Siyang, vice president of Xinhua, said that the platform will help editorial staff produce more short videos that users are drawn to.

Multiple news templates are set up on the platform, including politics, emergencies, sports, fashion and entertainment. The platform is able to analyze and capture information with high news value, such as fires, earthquakes and other emergencies, so as to help journalists and editors save time when reporting.

In specific fields such as sports live broadcasting and financial news, it realizes data visualization, data-to-video transformation and video production automation.

The platform enables journalists and editors to devote themselves to more valuable reporting work where human beings cannot easily be replaced by machines, said Shao Xiaofeng, secretary-general of the Alibaba group.

 

[bobsm]

Dec 16, 2018, 11:59am
How China Is Dominating Artificial Intelligence

Louis Columbus Contributor
Enterprise & Cloud

Boston Consulting Group’s study Mind the (AI) Gap: Leadership Makes the Difference published earlier this month provides insights into China’s emerging global leadership of AI. A copy of the study can be downloaded here (PDF, 20 pp., no opt-in). BCG’s study focuses on the key drivers of success in AI implementations and is based on a global survey of over 2,700 managers in seven countries. Please see page 4 of the study for additional details regarding the methodology.

The study found that there is a strong connection between bold, disruption-friendly management styles including actively putting AI high on the agenda, encouraging rapid development and piloting, and fostering cross-functional, agile R&D, all leading to AI industry leadership. Chinese organizations are beginning to dominate AI due to these factors combined with their shorter innovation cycles than their peer organizations. BCG found that structural improvements at the national level do play an important role in laying the foundations for AI growth—investments in data infrastructure, in research hubs and networks, and higher education for IT and data-related fields.

Key insights from BCG’s study that illustrate China’s rising dominance in AI include the following:

• 85% of Chinese companies are active players in the field of AI, leading all seven nations in the study. BCG defines active players as those companies making tangible progress in unlocking the value of AI in two dimensions: They are already moving to adopt AI into some existing processes or currently running pilot initiatives, and their efforts thus far have generally been successful. China’s dominance can be attributed to their New Generation Artificial Intelligence Development Plan introduced in 2017, which is delivering strong results.

SOURCE: BOSTON CONSULTING GROUP MIND THE (AI) GAP: LEADERSHIP MAKES THE DIFFERENCE, DECEMBER, 2018 BY SYLVAIN DURANTON, JÖRG ERLEBACH, AND MARC PAULY

• China’s AI dominance reaches across multiple industries compared to the majority of nations only concentrating on a few. BCG interviewed 500 Chinese companies and found that the impact of their 2017 New Generation Artificial Intelligence Development Plan is having a successful cross-industry impact on AI piloting, adoption and success with AI initiatives. Unlike in the U.S. and other nations, China’s overall lead in the race to extract value from AI is not driven by the strong dominance of one or two particular industries; it’s succeeding as a nation and the industry-wide phenomenon that is rooted in how Chinese managers approach AI innovation.

more@ https://www.forbes.com/sites/louisc...-china-is-dominating-artificial-intelligence/

 

[cirr]

Ultra-high sensitive pressure sensor developed for wearable devices

2019-01-04 16:05:00 Xinhua Editor : Jing Yuxin

Chinese researchers have developed a pressure sensor with ultra-high sensitivity and fast response time.

The new wearable pressure sensor is capable of monitoring real-time pulse waves and act as artificial skin for robots' hands to detect weak pressure changes.

It was designed with a low detection limit, and the response time of the new pressure sensor is less than one millisecond.

"Our sensor can feel the pressure of light objects such as feathers or rice, and it can transform the pressure into electricity," said Chen Ming, a researcher of the Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

The researchers developed the high-performance wearable pressure sensor based on microstructured electrodes, according to the article published in the scientific journal American Chemical Society (ACS) Applied Materials and Interfaces.

It has great application promise in the fields of biomedicine, real-time health monitoring and artificial intelligence.

Ultra-high sensitive pressure sensor developed for wearable devices

2019-01-04 16:05:00 Xinhua Editor : Jing Yuxin

Chinese researchers have developed a pressure sensor with ultra-high sensitivity and fast response time.

The new wearable pressure sensor is capable of monitoring real-time pulse waves and act as artificial skin for robots' hands to detect weak pressure changes.

It was designed with a low detection limit, and the response time of the new pressure sensor is less than one millisecond.

"Our sensor can feel the pressure of light objects such as feathers or rice, and it can transform the pressure into electricity," said Chen Ming, a researcher of the Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

The researchers developed the high-performance wearable pressure sensor based on microstructured electrodes, according to the article published in the scientific journal American Chemical Society (ACS) Applied Materials and Interfaces.

It has great application promise in the fields of biomedicine, real-time health monitoring and artificial intelligence.

 

[TaiShang]

Delve into the core of AI and e-commerce in Guangzhou

By He Zhuoyan (People's Daily Online) 16:56, January 04, 2019


More than 800 million Chinese people have been lifted out of poverty over the past 40 years, a stunning contribution to the global fight against poverty. China, however, is not yet satisfied with this result.

China’s Guangdong Province, a long-time trailblazer over the decades of reform and opening-up, plays an important role in the search for an answer to change the service industry and benefit the people. Currently, the answer is technology.

For years, Guangdong has been exploring a new way to develop itself into a technological haven. Nansha Area, one of three new areas in the Guangdong Pilot Free Trade Zone (FTZ), shoulders part the responsibility of propelling innovation through technology.

By shifting its focus onto “IAB”, namely Information Technology, Artificial Intelligence and Biopharmaceuticals, Nansha New Area, the sixth state-level New Area in China of its kind, rose in response. It has developed into a new harbor for entrepreneurs in pursuit of notable achievements in technological industries, such as AI and e-commerce.

Administrative simplification for hi-tech companies

“The facilitation of strategical emerging industries is a major feature of Nansha Area. The AI industry, especially, is the core of a new round of technological innovation. AI technology penetrates through the advanced manufacturing industry, modern service industry and the construction of smart cities.” Said Mao Yanhua, Vice Dean of Sun Yat-sen University’s Institute for FTZ Research.

In recent years, one of the only words that we hear time and time again when it comes to cars is "electric", indicating a relatively slow development in the car industry, especially when it covers a timespan of over 150 years. Its infusion with AI technology, however, might change the game.

“We say, ‘self-driving car projects are the mother of all AI projects,’” said Dai Xiaoming, an employee of the Strategic Development Department of Pony.ai, a self-driving car unicorn company with offices in China and Silicon Valley.

The phrase he quoted was once said by Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, on the future dominance of the autonomous car industry.

Entrepreneurs aren't the only ones who see a future in AI, so too does the government. In Oct. 2017, Nansha Development Zone sealed a deal with Pony.ai to reach an agreement to locate the company headquarter in the Nansha Area for further research and development.

Talking about the support from the local authorities, Cao Tiantian, Chief Business Officer of Pony.ai said, “We’ve received lots of support from the local government. We would often report to the government in advance, asking for a specific area in the city to test our product.”

She added that the only way to make AI even smarter is to retrieve valid data from real road tests, and Nansha Area plays an essential role in making that happen.

An official experimental instruction for the road test of autonomous-vehicles released by Nansha Area earlier this year prioritizes the idea “Be propelled by innovation, be the first to carry and try”.

It only takes 15 days for a self-driving car company to receive a governmental reply granting permission for a real road trial.

Aiming to become the world’s best autonomous car company, Pony.ai pays particular attention to employing more adroit talents in the industry. “The basic rule to compete in this industry is to attract as many talented people as you can,” said Dai.

Adding to this, Cai mentioned that there are collaborations among local authorities to cater to their needs. “The FTZ offers us huge support when it comes to employee settlement, tax preference and talent attraction. Most importantly, it takes much less time for an employee to settle down because of the simplification of the administrative procedure.”

Technological advantages make a smarter customs system

The past 40 years have witnessed a soaring change in per capita disposable income of Chinese citizens, from an average of 171 yuan (24.8 U.S. dollars) to 25,974 yuan (3768.4 U.S. dollars). The growing desire for high-quality products acts as a stimulus to the market that eventually incubates high-end e-commerce companies such as VIPSHOP (China), one of the leading B2C online retailers in China.

As an e-commerce company born and raised locally, VIPSHOP couldn’t be a better embodiment of the advancement of its mother town.

“Since the trial of cross-border e-commerce business started, VIPSHOP’s cross-border business has generated an annual revenue of over 8.24 billion yuan (11.9 billion U.S. dollars) as well as 1.1 billion (159 million U.S. dollars) in tax,” said Peng Xinguo, Senior Warehouse Manager of VIPSHOP’s warehouse located near the Nansha harbor.

None of these achievements could’ve been made without the help of technology, especially the GQTS, aka the Global Quality Traceability System.

The Global Quality Traceability System, according to Yangcheng Evening News, is the world’s first quality inspection system which ensures the customers have complete knowledge about their imported products.

“It’s urgent for Guangzhou Harbor, which is now the fifth largest harbor in the world, to necessitate the smart custom clearance system,” said professor Mao. “The GQTS remains a pivotal part in the development of cross-border e-commerce through its advanced quality inspection system,” he added.

According to Int. Business Daily, by 2017, over 44 million tracing codes had been issued for products worth over 50.4 billion U.S. dollars.

Taking advantage of technological innovations and applying them to the construction of “smart harbors”, according to professor Mao, is a method that could be applied to other harbors in China along the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road under the Belt and Road Initiative.

 

[TaiShang]

WeChat AI conversation system makes debut

Xinhua, January 10, 2019

China's instant messaging app WeChat is seen on a phone in Moscow, Russia, May 6, 2017. [Photo / Xinhua]

An artificial intelligence (AI) conversation system developed by the team behind WeChat, China's most popular social media platform, made its debut Wednesday in Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province.

The system, with a voice recognition function, will be able to provide easier access to music, weather, communication apps and mini-programs for ride-hailing, bike-sharing and online shopping, the design team said at the 2019 WeChat Open Course being held Jan. 9-10.

WeChat created more than 22 million jobs in the first three quarters 2018, among which 1.8 million were created by mini-programs, which covered 200 sub-industries, according to Tencent Holdings Ltd., the company that owns WeChat.

WeChat has over 1 billion monthly active users, with daily messaging of 45 billion, according to the company.

http://www.china.org.cn/business/2019-01/10/content_74358344.htm

 

[JSCh]

Chinese researchers use AI to explore diabetes classification
Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-10 19:05:25|Editor: Xiang Bo

BEIJING, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- Chinese researchers are using artificial intelligence (AI) to classify different types of diabetes, which may help Chinese patients obtain more precise treatment.

Different types of diabetes require diverse treatment. The current diabetes classification system, which has been used for more than 20 years is based on cause and pathological features, which has limitations in guiding clinical treatment.

Researchers from Peking University People's Hospital are working on a more elaborate classification of diabetes that may support individualized treatment.

They conducted research on diabetes classification based on the data of 2,316 Chinese people newly diagnosed with diabetes and 815 Americans.

Using the AI clustering method, they separate the two groups into four diabete subtypes based on five variables including age, BMI, blood glucose levels and insulin resistance indexes.

According to Zou Xiantong, one of the researchers, a previous study from Northern Europe has used similar methods to divide diabetes into five subgroups and demonstrated that the subgroups have different clinical manifestations and corresponding treatments. However, all cases involved in the study were from Northern Europe, and it is unknown whether it is applicable to other populations.

"We hope our research may provide data support for more accurate typing and treatment of diabetes in the Chinese population," Zou said.

The data analysis showed that the main clinical features of the four subtypes were basically consistent in the Chinese and U.S. groups, which also coincided with the subtype characteristics of the Northern Europe research.

The research was published in the journal The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology.

 

[JSCh]

No longer lost in translation: Chinese tech firm wins CES Innovation Prize for AI translator
New China TV
Published on Jan 14, 2019

#CES2019 Innovation Award for its newly upgraded iFLYTEK Translator 2.0. It supports translations between Chinese and more than 50 other languages. Find out more.