Chinese tech companies, both industry giants and ambitious startups, gathered at the World AI Conference in Shanghai this week to exhibit their latest innovations and reiterate their strong support for the country's artificial intelligence sector in the face of U.S. sanctions.
Innovation on Display
More than 150 AI-related products and solutions were showcased at the conference, with a majority of the exhibitors being Chinese firms. Some notable foreign companies present included Tesla and Qualcomm. The event was a platform for companies to unveil their latest AI products, such as SenseTime's SenseNova 5.5.
SenseTime, known for its facial recognition technology, shifted its focus to generative AI following the release of ChatGPT by OpenAI. At the conference, the company introduced SenseNova 5.5, its advanced large language model (LLM) that competes with OpenAI's GPT-4o in areas like mathematical reasoning.
Confidence Amid Challenges
Despite the challenges posed by U.S. sanctions restricting access to advanced chips, Chinese executives at the conference expressed confidence in the resilience of Chinese AI companies.
Zhang Ping'an from Huawei's cloud computing unit emphasized the need to innovate in areas like cloud computing to overcome the chip shortage challenge. He mentioned, "If we believe that not having the most advanced AI chips means we will be unable to lead in AI, then we need to abandon this viewpoint."
Push for Indigenous Development
Liu Qingfeng, chairman of AI company Iflytek, highlighted the importance of independently developing and controlling large language models to match global standards. Despite being on the sanctions list, Chinese companies have been able to rival OpenAI's models.
Robin Li, CEO of Baidu, urged the industry to shift focus from developing large language models that require extensive computing power to prioritizing AI applications. He emphasized the need for practical implementation over foundational models.
The World AI Conference in Shanghai showcased the determination of Chinese AI companies to innovate and succeed despite external challenges. Executives emphasized the need for indigenous development, innovation, and a shift in focus towards practical applications to drive the sector forward.
