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☆ China, Xi Jinping's Plan for AI Will Wreak Havoc on the World Economy
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-02 | by ( Linette Lopez | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +18 min

According to the CCP's plan, by 2020, China was supposed to have "achieved iconic advances in AI models and methods, core devices, high-end equipment, and foundational software." Censorship requirements may slow China's AI development and limit the commercialization of domestic models, but they will not stop Beijing from benefiting from AI where it sees fit. We're not seeing a huge gap between the models Chinese companies have been able to roll out. The current price war is a race to the bottom, similar to what we've seen in the Chinese technology space before. A race to the bottom may simply beggar China's AI ecosystem.

Persons: Xi Jinping, China doesn't, there's, Beijing's, Reva Goujon, We're, It's, ChatGPT, Xie Huanchi, couldn't, you'll, —, Kenneth DeWoskin, it's, Matt Sheehan, they're, chatbot, Sheehan, Ernie Bot, There's, Alibaba, ByteDance's, Paul Triolo, Albright, we've, haven't, DeWoskin, Sam Altman, Elon Musk Organizations: Chinese Communist Party, CCP, Intelligence, Cyberspace Administration, Getty, Freedom, University of Michigan, Deloitte, CAC, Carnegie Endowment, International Peace, Baidu, Bloomberg, Companies, Brookings Institution, Beijing, The Commerce Department Locations: China, Beijing, China's, Hong Kong, Xinhua, , Washington, Brussels, Berlin, Taiwan, US, Xinjiang

HONG KONG (AP) — Technology company Baidu on Monday refuted a newspaper report that said its artificial intelligence chatbot Ernie was linked to Chinese military research. The paper stated that the division had tested its artificial intelligence system on Baidu’s Ernie and on artificial intelligence firm iFlyTek’s Spark, both of which are language-based AI chatbots similar to ChatGPT. “Ernie Bot is available to and used by the general public,” the Chinese company said in its statement. Like ChatGPT, users can pose questions or requests to Ernie Bot, which would then generate content based on the initial prompt. The Beijing-headquartered firm said in December that it had more than 100 million users for Ernie Bot.

Persons: Ernie, Baidu, Ernie Bot Organizations: — Technology, Baidu, Hong, China Morning, People’s Liberation Army cyberwarfare, PLA Information Engineering University, China Morning Post, PLA, Huawei, U.S Locations: HONG KONG, Hong Kong, U.S, China, Taiwan, Beijing

☆ How Huawei plans to rival Nvidia in the AI chip business
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Josh Ye | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Better known globally for its telecoms and smartphones businesses, Huawei has for the past four years been building an AI chip line. Here is what we know about its Ascend AI chip series, and its main product to rival Nvidia's A100 chip, the 910B. WHY AND HOW DID HUAWEI ENTER THE AI CHIP BUSINESS? Baidu ordered 1,600 of Huawei 910B chips for 200 servers in August, one source told Reuters. Analysts have estimated China's AI chip market to be worth $7 billion and grabbing market share from Nvidia could mark a win for Huawei against the United States.

Persons: Benoit Tessier, Nvidia, CANN, Liu Qingfeng, iFlyTek, Jiang Tao, Baidu, Meng Wanzhou, Josh Ye, Brenda Goh Organizations: Huawei Technologies, Viva Technology, Porte de, REUTERS, Nvidia, Huawei, Baidu, HK, HUAWEI, Reuters, Analysts, CHINA, Thomson Locations: Porte, Paris, France, HONG KONG, China, United States

☆ Shares in China's iFlyTek tumble after reports AI-powered device criticised Mao
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Josh Ye | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

An iFlytek company sign is seen at the Appliance and Electronics World Expo (AWE) in Shanghai, China March 23, 2021. It has proposed the compilation of a blacklist of sources that cannot be used to train Chinese AI models. IFlyTek on Tuesday revealed its latest Spark AI model which the company says can rival OpenAI’s ChatGPT in most key areas. Liu said iFlytek’s model could compete with OpenAI’s GPT-4 early next year. The company also said that it is working with Huawei Technologies (HWT.UL) on an AI model training platform which uses Huawei’s flagship AI chips.

Persons: Aly, Mao Zedong, Baijiahao, Mao, iFlyTek, Liu Qingfeng, OpenAI’s, Liu, Josh Ye, Brenda Goh, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Appliance, Electronics, REUTERS, Reuters, Communist Party, Huawei Technologies, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, HONG KONG, iFlytek

☆ Analysis: US chip curbs give Huawei a chance to fill the Nvidia void in China
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Josh Ye | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Huawei's Ascend AI chips are comparable to Nvidia's in terms of raw computing power, analysts and some AI firms such as China's iFlyTek (002230.SZ) say, but they still lag behind in performance. "This U.S. move, in my opinion, is actually giving Huawei's Ascend chips a huge gift," Jiang said in a post on his social media Weibo account. Huawei and Nvidia did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment. Huawei's partners in China so far include iFlyTek, a leading Chinese AI software company which is using the Ascend 910 to train its AI models. Other partners include state-owned software firms Tsinghua Tongfang and Digital China.

Persons: Benoit Tessier, Jiang Yifan, Jiang, CANN, Woz Ahmed, Ahmed, Meng Wanzhou, IFlyTek, Jiang Tao, Charlie Chai, 86Research, Xi Jinping, Chai, Josh Ye, Brenda Goh Organizations: Huawei Technologies, Viva Technology, Porte de, REUTERS, Nvidia, Huawei, Securities, Tsinghua, Digital, Thomson Locations: Porte, Paris, France, HONG KONG, China, United States, U.S, Digital China

☆ China's 360 and iFlytek release AI models to public
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Josh Ye | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

AI (Artificial Intelligence) letters are placed on computer motherboard in this illustration taken, June 23, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, Sept 5 (Reuters) - China's 360 Security Technology (601360.SS) and iFlytek (002230.SZ) on Tuesday became the latest tech firms to release their artificial intelligence (AI) models to the public. Unlike other countries, China requires companies to submit security assessments and receive clearance before AI products can be available for anyone to use. Authorities have recently accelerated efforts to support companies developing AI as the technology increasingly becomes a focus of competition with the United States. Hefei-based iFlytek, best known for it voice recognition technology, said it was launching its "Spark" AI model while Beiing-based 360 Security Technology, best known for its antivirus software, launched its its AI model "Zhinao", according to the state-backed Securities Times.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Josh Ye, Jacqueline Wong, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Security Technology, Authorities, Securities Times, Baidu Inc, HK, SenseTime, Thomson Locations: Rights BEIJING, China, United States, Hefei, Hong Kong, Beijing

☆ China's earnings season is just getting started. Here are some winners to watch
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-23 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Their screen found that home appliances, media and software sectors were among those that fit the bill. When it comes to individual stocks, HSBC looked for names where their estimates were most above the consensus. Top on the list is software company 360 Security, which HSBC's earnings estimate for the year is double the consensus. Baosight, another software company, also made the top 10, as did home appliance company Sanhua. But not all software stocks made the cut.

Persons: Price, That's, Ding Wenjie, There's, Ant, Didi, Ding, Goldman Sachs, Lei Meng, Meng, Steven Sun, iFlytek Organizations: HSBC, That's, China Asset Management, CNBC, Alibaba, UBS Securities China Equity, CSI, HSBC Qianhai Securities Locations: China, Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen

☆ Chinese ministry holds meeting with Xiaomi, iFlytek and Alibaba Cloud
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BEIJING, July 11 (Reuters) - China's science and technology ministry held a meeting on July 5 with firms including Xiaomi, iFlytek and Alibaba Cloud to discuss innovation as well as national strategic scientific and technological initiatives, the ministry said on Tuesday. China will support private enterprises to create leading science and technology enterprises, and encourage more talents to gather in leading private science and technology enterprises, the minister Wang Zhigang said in a statement. Reporting by Beijing newsroom; Editing by Himani SarkarOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Wang Zhigang, Himani Sarkar Organizations: Xiaomi, Beijing, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China

☆ At China political meeting, internet bosses are out, chip execs are in
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Laurie Chen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

HARDWARE FOCUSNewcomers to the events include representatives from chip firms Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC), state-backed Hua Hong Semiconductor Ltd, Shandong Youyan Semiconductor Materials Co. in the NPC and Cambricon Techologies Corp in the CPPCC. Other new NPC delegates come from robotics, laser, aerospace and aeronautics firms. Delegates for the NPC and CPPCC are chosen every five years by the Communist Party and have the option to resign. Some celebrity CPPCC delegates did not reappear on this year's list, such as Hong Kong action star Jackie Chan, film director Feng Xiaogang and state television anchor Bai Yansong. Yao Ming, a retired basketball star who heads the Chinese Basketball Association, has moved from the CPPCC to the NPC.

☆ ChatGPT mania pumps up Chinese AI technology stocks
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

While ChatGPT is not accessible in China, mainland investors are still pumping up the shares of AI technology companies such as Hanwang Technology Co (002362.SZ), TRS Information Technology Co (300229.SZ) and Cloudwalk Technology Co (688327.SS). To be sure, there is no indication that these AI companies are close to pushing out a ChatGPT-like product. Cloudwalk shares have more than doubled in the seven trading days since the Lunar New Year holidays. Other companies that have disclosed their progress in AI technology include TRS Information Technology, and Beijing Haitian Ruisheng Science Technology Ltd (688787.SS). Retail investor Lu Deyong has purchased shares in TRS and iFlytek and is seeking to profit from the ChatGPT hype.

☆ U.S. investors have plowed billions into China's AI sector, report shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Alexandra Alper | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

According to the report, 167 U.S. investors took part in 401 transactions, or roughly 17% of the investments into Chinese AI companies in the period. Those transactions represented a total $40.2 billion in investment, or 37% of the total raised by Chinese AI companies in the 6-year period. According to the report, U.S. investor GSR Ventures invested alongside China's IFlytek Co Ltd (002230.SZ) in a Chinese AI company after the speech recognition firm was added to a trade blacklist. Silicon Valley Bank and Wanxiang American Healthcare investments group made investments in Chinese AI firms alongside China's Sensetime before the powerhouse in facial recognition technology was added to the same trade blacklist. Only one Chinese AI company that received funding from U.S. investors is involved in developing AI applications for military or public safety uses, according to CSET.

☆ 23 major brands suspected of illegally sourcing products made by forced labor in China
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-17 | by ( Jacob Zinkula | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

And more ...Mary Meisenzahl/InsiderThese companies have also been suspected of having direct or indirect ties to Chinese forced labor in the aforementioned reports. Bosch"Bosch is committed to ensuring that its products are not produced wholly or in part by forced labor. "Compliance with human rights, labor rights and environmental standards is a top priority at PUMA and has been specified in our Codes of Conduct for over 20 years." As stated in our Business Conduct Guidelines, we reject all forms of oppression, forced labor and participation in human rights violations. We will continue to respect human rights and take a strong stand against forced labor."

☆ U.S. aims to hobble China’s chip industry with sweeping new export rules
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-07 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

The raft of measures could amount to the biggest shift in U.S. policy toward shipping technology to China since the 1990s. If effective, they could set China’s chip manufacturing industry back years by forcing American and foreign companies that use U.S. technology to cut off support for some of China’s leading factories and chip designers. On Friday, the Biden administration applied the expanded restrictions to China’s IFLYTEK, Dahua Technology, and Megvii Technology, companies added to the entity list in 2019 over allegations they aided Beijing in the suppression of its Uigher minority group. The “unverified list” is a potential stepping stone to tougher economic blacklists, but companies that comply with U.S. inspection rules can come off the list. On Friday, U.S. officials removed nine such firms, including China’s Wuxi Biologics, which makes ingredients for AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine.

The raft of measures could amount to the biggest shift in U.S. policy toward shipping technology to China since the 1990s. If effective, they could hobble China's chip manufacturing industry by forcing American and foreign companies that use U.S. technology to cut off support for some of China's leading factories and chip designers. The rules published on Friday also block shipments of a broad array of chips for use in Chinese supercomputing systems. "The U.S. should stop the wrongdoings immediately and give fair treatment to companies from all over the world, including Chinese companies." On Saturday, China's foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning called the move an abuse of trade measures designed to reinforce the United States' "technological hegemony".

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