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☆ China's slow AI roll-out points to its tech sector's new regulatory reality
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Josh Ye | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/3] An AI (Artificial Intelligence) sign is seen at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai, China July 6, 2023. New rules Chinese firms have to comply with range from algorithm vetting to accepting security reviews of data they want to export. They definitely stifle the innovation and slow down the ability of Chinese firms to catch up." A key motivation behind China's reluctance to release AI chatbots is that Beijing fears uncensored chatbots may start influencing societal views in potentially subversive directions, said Mark Natkin, managing director of research firm Marbridge Consulting. "While the U.S. is racing ahead with AI, China is hitting the brakes with more rules."

Persons: Aly, HONG KONG, OpenAI's ChatGPT, Henry Gao, Ernie Bot, Robin Li, Shi, Mark Natkin, Heatherm Huang, Bard, Microsoft's Bing, Xi Jinping, Baidu, Josh Ye, Brenda Goh, Jamie Freed Organizations: Artificial Intelligence, REUTERS, China, Baidu, HK, Ant Group, Western, Singapore Management University, Microsoft, SenseChat, Nomura, Marbridge Consulting, Huawei Technologies, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, HONG, Beijing, Alibaba, Tencent, Hong Kong, U.S

☆ Analysis: China's slow AI roll-out points to its tech sector's new regulatory reality
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Josh Ye | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

☆ Alibaba launches A.I. tool to generate images from text
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Alibaba Group sign is seen at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai, China July 6, 2023. Chinese technology giant Alibaba on Friday launched an artificial intelligence tool that can generate images from prompts. Tongyi Wanxiang allows users to input prompts in Chinese and English and the AI tool will generate an image in various styles such as a sketch or 3D cartoon. Generative AI refers to a type of artificial intelligence that is able to generate content based on prompts. And in China, Baidu released Ernie Bot and Alibaba launched Tongyi Qianwen.

Persons: Tongyi, Baidu, Ernie Bot, Alibaba Organizations: Artificial Intelligence, Google Locations: Shanghai, China, U.S

☆ Why Japan is lagging behind in generative A.I. — and how it can create its own large language models
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Audrey Wan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

But the nation is lagging behind in the generative AI race and is trying to create its own large language models. Generative AI has been the trendiest topic in tech since OpenAI made waves with its chatbot ChatGPT. Key to generative AI development are large language models which underpin the likes of ChatGPT and Baidu's Ernie Bot, capable of processing vast data sets to generate text and other content. Japanese companies pursuing generative AIBig Tech players have also joined the fray to boost Japan's standing in generative AI. While it has yet to catch up in the generative AI space, Japan is making its first stride with these private sector efforts.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Ernie Bot, Noriyuki Kojima, Kojima, Fumio Kishida, Sam Altman, Masayoshi, Son, Amir Anvarzadeh, Anvarzadeh, CyberAgent, Bloom Organizations: Getty, Japan, Technology, Reuters, Microsoft, Google, Ministry of Economy Trade, Industry, IMD, Nikkei, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tohoku University, Fujitsu, Riken, Japanese, Big Tech, SoftBank Group, SB Energy, Toyota Tsusho, Fortress Investment, Vision Fund, Asymmetric Advisors, NTT, Local Locations: Japan, China, Europe, Nikkei Asia, Government, Tohoku, Hokkaido, SoftBank

☆ A.I., rate cuts and Japan's rebound: Asia stocks are looking 'much more promising' than U.S. peers
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Lim Hui Jie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

The Japanese flag flutters over the Bank of Japan (BoJ) head office building (bottom) in Tokyo on April 27, 2022. At first glance, Asian stocks as a whole have more modest gains so far this year compared with their U.S. and European counterparts. But Asia is more economically diverse than Europe and the U.S., and there are still bright spots in the region, especially in Japan and South Korea. In April, the BOJ announced it will conduct a "a broad-perspective review of [its] monetary policy," which could span 12-18 months. But Lombard Odier still expects the BOJ to end the yield curve control policy before this review is over.

Persons: Kazuhiro Nogi, Nomura, Daniela Gombert, bode, Gombert, Kazuo Ueda, Ueda, Lombard Odier, Morgan Stanley, Google's Bard, Ernie Bot, Lombard, Marco Barresi, Barresi Organizations: Bank of Japan, Afp, Getty, U.S, Asia, Nomura, Nikkei, Bank of, Private, U.S . Federal, Chips, Lombard Odier Locations: Tokyo, Asia, Europe, U.S, Japan, South Korea, India, Southeast Asia, Bank of Japan, Indonesia, A.I, OpenAI, Taiwan, China

☆ China's Baidu claims its Ernie Bot beats ChatGPT on key tests as A.I. race heats up
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

In this article BIDU Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTChinese technology giant Baidu has launched its own ChatGPT rival, Ernie bot. The chatbot is based on Baidu's foundational AI model called Ernie. Citing the China Science Daily journal, Baidu said Ernie 3.5 surpassed ChatGPT in a number of benchmark tests. ChatGPT is based on OpenAI's GPT 3.5 model. Ernie 3.5 also beat GPT 4, OpenAI's latest and more advanced model, in Chinese language tests, according to the science journal.

Persons: Ernie bot, Baidu, Ernie Bot, Ernie, that's Organizations: Baidu, Getty, China Science, Microsoft Locations: China, U.S, ChatGPT

☆ China's Baidu says its new AI beat ChatGPT on some metrics
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Josh Ye | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Baidu said in a statement on Tuesday that Ernie 3.5, the latest version of its Ernie AI model, had surpassed "ChatGPT in comprehensive ability scores" and outperformed "GPT-4 in several Chinese capabilities". The Baidu announcement comes amid a global AI buzz kicked off by ChatGPT that has spread to China, prompting a flurry of domestic companies to announce rival products. Baidu was the first big Chinese tech company to debut a AI product to rival ChatGPT when it unveiled its language AI Ernie Bot in March. Ernie Bot, built on Baidu's older Ernie 3.0 AI model, has been in invite-only tests for the past three months. Other big Chinese tech firms, including Alibaba Group (9988.HK) and Tencent Holdings (0700.HK), have all since revealed their respective AI models.

Persons: China's, Baidu, Ernie, OpenAI, ChatGPT, Ernie Bot, Josh Ye, Himani Sarkar Organizations: Baidu Inc, HK, Microsoft, China Science Daily, Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent Holdings, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, Beijing, China

MiniMax was founded in 2021 by some former employees of SenseTime (0020.HK), including Yan Junjie - a former vice president at the Chinese AI firm, two other people said. Wang Huiwen, co-founder of on-demand service giant Meituan (3690.HK), said he has founded a new AI company called Beijing Lightyear Technology with $50 million from investors. Google China's former chief, Kai-Fu Lee, has unveiled his new startup - Project AI 2.0. Wang Xiaochuan, founder of China's No.2 search engine Sogou, said in April that he had founded Baichuan Intelligence with a startup capital of $50 million. Its other early investors include China's Yunqi Partners and Future Capital, statements from the venture capital funds show.

Persons: MiniMax, Yan Junjie, Wang Huiwen, Kai, Fu Lee, Wang Xiaochuan, China's, MiHoYo, Charlie Chai, ERNIE Bot, Chai, Roxanne Liu, Josh Ye, Himani Sarkar Organizations: Microsoft, HK, Huawei, Baidu, Beijing Lightyear Technology, Google, Baichuan Intelligence, China's Yunqi Partners, Future, 86Research, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, HONG KONG, China, Beijing, miHoYo, Hong Kong

☆ China's Baidu launches $145 million venture capital AI fund
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SHANGHAI, May 31 (Reuters) - Chinese search giant Baidu Inc (9988.HK) will set up a venture capital fund of 1 billion yuan ($145 million) to back start-ups focused on content generated by artificial intelligence applications, it said on Wednesday. The company will also launch a competition for developers to build applications off its ERNIE large language model (LLM) or integrate the model into their existing products, it added. E-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (9988.HK) was among the other Chinese companies that followed quickly. In response to the surge of LLMs, China published draft regulations in April on the use of generative AI. ($1=6.9121 Chinese yuan renminbi)Reporting by Josh Horwitz, Samuel Shen and Jason Xue; Editing by Clarence FernandezOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Ernie Bot, Josh Horwitz, Samuel Shen, Jason Xue, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: Baidu Inc, HK, Baidu, Alibaba, Holding, Thomson Locations: SHANGHAI, China, United States

☆ Baidu will 'very soon' officially launch generative AI model, says CEO
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BEIJING, May 26 (Reuters) - Chinese search engine giant Baidu's (9888.HK) CEO Robin Li said on Friday that the company will "very soon" officially launch Ernie 3.5, a generative AI large-language model that will power Baidu's ChatGPT-like app Ernie Bot and upgrade its search engine. Li made the announcement at the Zhongguancun Forum, one of China's most well-known techology forums, around two months after Ernie Bot was first shown to the public to mixed reviews. Since then, Ernie Bot and other products powered by the company's generative AI large-language model have remained in trial mode, with a select number of companies and users invited to test the products and provide feedback. Reporting by Eduardo Baptista; Editing by Muralikumar AnantharamanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ China's internet giants bet big on A.I. as Beijing looks to rival U.S. on tech 'paradigm shift'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-23 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

"This kind of computing power needs to be provided as a kind of public service or infrastructure. China, specifically, "has some of the most advanced AI tech in the world," he added. "We believe this is a Game of Thrones also playing out in the China Tech market as the gloves are on for this battle," Ives said. Many innovative vendors are going after this market and China tech is now in the midst of a secular shift around AI." The comments from some of China's top tech companies last week hint at how Beijing is seeking to ramp up its rivalry with the U.S. on AI.

Persons: BABA BABA, Robin Li, Baidu, Ernie Bot, OpenAI's ChatGPT, Tencent, Martin Lau, Lau, Alibaba, Daniel Zhang, Dan Ives, Ives, Hao Hong, CNBC's, —, Tencent's Lau, Baidu's Li, Didi, Meituan Organizations: HK, Microsoft, Google, Wedbush Securities, CNBC, China Tech, Big Tech, Baidu, U.S, Nvidia, chipmaker Micron, Grow Investment Locations: China, Beijing, U.S, Alibaba

☆ China's Baidu beats earnings estimates as chatbot awaits government approval
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Search engine giant Baidu beat first-quarter revenue and profit estimates on Tuesday as businesses spent more on advertising amid China's post-Covid reopening, and said it was awaiting regulatory approval to launch its ChatGPT-like Ernie bot. Business momentum in China is building after it dropped most of its strict Covid-19 curbs late last year, with consumers and companies reviving spending. China's economy grew a faster-than-expected 4.5% year-on-year in the three months through March, according to the latest official data. Baidu CEO Robin Li said on Tuesday that after the Lunar New Year in late January, there was a quick economic recovery that especially benefited the company's advertisers in offline sectors such as travel and healthcare. "Some of these verticals have already rebounded to above pre-pandemic levels, indicating solid signs of recovery," Li said.

Baidu's revenue rose 10% to 31.14 billion yuan ($4.54 billion) in the quarter to March 31, surpassing analysts' estimates of 29.97 billion yuan, according to Refinitiv data. Revenue from Baidu Core, which includes search-based ad sales, cloud offerings and its autonomous driving initiatives, grew 8% to 23 billion yuan. Baidu reported net income of 5.83 billion yuan, compared to net loss in the year-ago quarter. The company's much-touted rival to ChatGPT, Ernie bot, has yet to be officially launched, despite having been partially unveiled to the public in mid-March. "During our testing of Ernie bot, we have engaged in close discussions with the regulators," Li said.

BEIJING, May 16 (Reuters) - Baidu Inc's (9888.HK) experience in tailoring its search engine to Chinese regulatory requirements makes it confident its AI-driven chatbot won't make mistakes on "important and sensitive topics", the company said on Tuesday. "For important and sensitive topics, we have to make sure artificial intelligence will not hallucinate," Li said, using the industry term for when AI models generate outputs different from what is expected. Li said industry regulation was not final yet, and the company would continue to update its strategy as it evolves. "Baidu has been operating search in China for more than 20 years and has extensive experience with Chinese culture and the regulatory environment," he said. Reporting by Eduardo Baptista in Beijing, Yuvraj Malik in Bengaluru Editing by Mark PotterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ ChatGPT: Chinese police detain man for allegedly using it to spread rumors online
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Chris Lau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

According to a statement from police in the northwest province of Gansu, the suspect allegedly used ChatGPT to generate a bogus report about a train crash, which he then posted online for profit. ChatGPT, developed by Microsoft (MSFT)-backed OpenAI, is banned in China, though internet users can use virtual private networks (VPN) to access it. State broadcaster CGTN says it was the country’s first arrest of a person accused of using ChatGPT to fabricate and spread fake news. Formally known as deep synthesis, deep fake refers to highly realistic textual and visual content generated by artificial intelligence. The new legislation bars users from generating deep fake content on topics already prohibited by existing laws on China’s heavily censored internet.

☆ China's A.I. chatbots haven't yet reached the public like ChatGPT did
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Baidu CTO Wang Haifeng speaks at the unveiling of Baidus AI chatbot Ernie Bot at an event in Beijing on March 16, 2023. Those restrictions haven't stopped the Chinese press and social media in general from talking frequently about ChatGPT and AI tech. So far, publicly available figures indicate similar AI products in China are not as widely available. Kunlun claims Tiangong is the only chatbot in China with training metrics at the level of ChatGPT. Some in the industry also expect such AI tools will be easier to commercialize for business products than for public tools such as search.

☆ Can China's ChatGPT clones give it an edge over the U.S. in an A.I. arms race?
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

ChatGPT, the artificial intelligence chatbot developed by U.S. firm OpenAI, has caused excitement around the world. Now Chinese technology giants are rolling out their rivals to ChatGPT. Chinese chatbots are expected to look very different from their Western counterparts. While ChatGPT can answer questions on sensitive topics, Chinese chatbots reportedly shut down some questions. So what exactly will China's rivals to ChatGPT look like, and how will they develop going forward?

☆ A Chinese company is reportedly planning to replace some human copywriters and graphic designers with AI
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Britney Nguyen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A marketing company in China reportedly has plans to replace some of its human contractors with AI. A memo seen by Bloomberg says BlueFocus plans to replace external copywriters and graphic designers. Experts previously told Insider some jobs in media can be at risk of being replaced by AI models. A marketing and brand management company in China has plans to replace some of its copywriters and graphic designers with generative AI models like ChatGPT, according to an internal memo seen by Bloomberg. Generative AI can potentially affect 300 million-full time jobs around the world, research from Goldman Sachs found.

☆ Alibaba shows off its generative AI tech, to roll out in all apps
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Josh Horwitz | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Called Tongyi Qianwen, the AI large language model drafted invitation letters, planned trip itineraries and advised shoppers on types of makeup to purchase in a filmed demonstration. Tongyi Qianwen will initially be integrated into DingTalk, Alibaba's workplace messaging app and can be used to summarise meeting notes, write emails and draft business proposals. AI models like Tongyi Qianwen are "the big picture for making AI more popular in the future," he added. On Monday, Chinese AI company SenseTime (0200.HK) unveiled a slew of new AI products including a chatbot called SenseChat. Zhang said that Alibaba and other companies working on AI models were at the "starting line" of a new phenomenon.

☆ China releases rules for generative AI like ChatGPT after Alibaba, Baidu launch services
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

These are AI services that are able to generate images or text after user queries. The powerful Cyberspace Administration of China released draft rules governing how generative AI products should be developed. Chinese regulators on Tuesday released draft rules designed to manage how companies develop generative artificial intelligence products like ChatGPT. So-called generative AI refers to algorithms trained with huge amounts of data that are able to generate content such as images and texts. On Tuesday, Alibaba unveiled Tongyi Qianwen, its generative AI product, that the e-commerce giant plans to integrate across various services.

☆ China's SenseTime unveils new AI products and chatbot
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Josh Ye | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] The logo of SenseTime is seen at SenseTime office, in Shanghai, China December 13, 2021. REUTERS/Aly SongHONG KONG, April 10 (Reuters) - China's SenseTime (0020.HK) unveiled on Monday a slew of new artificial intelligence-powered products including a chatbot and image generator, joining a global race ignited by the popularity of OpenAI's ChatGPT. Big models are typically trained on massive datasets using powerful hardware. Global interest in AI technology has soared since the debut in late 2022 of ChatGPT, a popular chat bot developed by U.S. company OpenAI which uses generative AI technology that learns from past data to create new text, images or computer code. "We have been focusing on developing our big models.

☆ Baidu sues Apple, app developers over fake Ernie bot apps
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Tingshu WangSHANGHAI, April 8 (Reuters) - Chinese search engine giant Baidu (9888.HK), has filed lawsuits against "relevant" app developers and Apple Inc (AAPL.O) over fake copies of its Ernie bot app available on Apple's app store. Baidu said it had lodged lawsuits in Beijing Haidian People's Court against the developers behind the counterfeit applications of its Ernie bot and the Apple company. "At present, Ernie does not have any official app," Baidu said in a statement late on Friday posted on its official "Baidu AI" WeChat account. "Until our company's official announcement, any Ernie app you see from App Store or other stores are fake," it said. The Ernie bot is only available to users who apply for and receive access codes.

☆ China's Alibaba invites businesses to trial AI chatbot -media
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Alibaba has opened up registration for businesses to conduct testing for its AI application, STAR Market reported without specifying details. Alibaba Cloud did not respond immediately to an emailed request for comment. A formal launch is expected at an Alibaba Cloud event on Tuesday. Others to have joined the AI chatbot race include Baidu Inc (9998.HK), with its Ernie Bot application open only to trial users at the moment. Last week Alibaba announced that it will restructure into six standalone divisions, each with its own board and CEO.

☆ China's SenseTime shares jump on planned new AI products event
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Josh Ye | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

HONG KONG, April 4 (Reuters) - China's SenseTime on Tuesday announced plans for a technology discussion day, boosting shares in the artificial intelligence (AI) firm. Shares in the company, which has been sanctioned by the U.S., gained more than 10% in Hong Kong on Tuesday. SenseTime, which is best known for its computer vision technology, did not elaborate on the type of AI products it would demonstrate. The company did not respond when asked about the planned event which is to be held on Monday in Shanghai. SenseTime said at the time that it strongly opposed the U.S. ban and would work with relevant authorities to resolve the situation.

☆ China's Baidu reveals more capabilities of AI-powered chatbot Ernie
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( Eduardo Baptista | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING, March 27 (Reuters) - Chinese search engine Baidu (9888.HK) on Monday shared pre-recorded videos of its AI-powered chatbot Ernie summarising financial statements and producing powerpoint presentations, among other industry-focused capabilities. According to images shared by a Baidu spokesperson in a media-facing group on WeChat, China's most widely used messaging service, the Chinese chatbot has a wider range of skills than previously displayed when it was launched almost two weeks ago. Back then the ChatGPT-like product was shown to be competent at generating images with text prompts, composing poetry and producing audio in Chinese dialects. The videos shared on Monday show the chatbot, powered by generative artificial intelligence (AI), producing travel itineraries and virtual, human-like livestreamers that can advertise products using scripts tailored to the user's needs. These videos were from a closed-door meeting hosted by Baidu's AI Cloud division for the first batch of companies that are testing an industry-focused version of the chatbot.

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