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☆ 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

☆ Pro-government rally in Moldovan capital draws tens of thousands
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( Alexander Tanas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] People wave flags of European Union and Moldova during a rally to support the European path of the country, in Chisinau, Moldova May 21, 2023. President Maia Sandu has accused Russia of seeking to sabotage its European integration by fuelling anti-government protests and propaganda. European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, on a visit to Chisinau, also addressed the rally, saying Europe would welcome Moldova "with open arms and open hearts". "This is about the both of us: You will bring a piece of Moldova to Europe, and you will make Europe stronger," she said. "I believe in a European Moldova and want for my country a future with advanced economic and socio-political development," said 18-year-old attendee Alexandrina Miron.

☆ A body odor buffet reveals which scents attract mosquitoes
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Kate Golembiewski | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Anyone who has spent a summer evening swatting away mosquitoes, or a summer day scratching mosquito bites, can agree: Mosquitoes stink. In a scientific report published Friday, scientists helped pinpoint the different chemicals in body odor that attract these insects by building an ice-rink size testing arena and pumping in the scents of different people. Hundreds of mosquitoes in the main 20-by-20-meter facility were then treated to a buffet of the sleeping subjects’ scents. The researchers found what many who have been on a picnic would attest to: Some people attract more mosquitoes than others. (Vosshall said that even scrubbing with unscented soap doesn’t get rid of the natural scents that attract mosquitoes.)

May 18 (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate is expected to vote Thursday on whether to confirm President Joe Biden's nominee to a federal appeals court a day after Senator Joe Manchin became the first one of Biden's fellow Democrats to vote against one of his judicial picks. Her confirmation faced a new obstacle on Wednesday night when Manchin, a moderate Democrat, broke ranks to oppose advancing her nomination. Her nomination advanced Wednesday on a 50-48 vote after two Republican senators did not participate, teeing it up for final consideration by the full Senate. If Manchin again opposes Abudu during the final vote on her confirmation, Vice President Kamala Harris could be called in to break a tie. That court flipped to a majority of Republican-appointed judges under then-President Donald Trump, who picked six of the 11 active judges.

☆ Analysis: In Turkey, an election reckoning for the rise and fall of Erdogan's economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Jonathan Spicer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

The May 14 vote, which lands during the Turkish Republic's centenary year, is Erdogan's biggest test yet. At the same time, a global reversal in market liquidity left Turkey and other emerging markets starved for funding. But the economic crisis was damaging. This trend accelerated in 2013, wiping out big gains made in 2006-2010 during Erdogan's first decade in charge. "If Erdogan wins the election and continues his economic policy it will come to a complete crash at one point.

☆ US bank run victims were bailed out in 3 days. In China, many have been waiting a year
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Selina Wang | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN is not revealing the identities of the bank victims in order to protect their safety. Bank victims protest in Henan in July 2022. Experts say small banks in other parts of China could face the same crisis, as the world’s second largest economy faces a longer term structural slowdown. Some Chinese bank victims even say they’re living in fear of violent reprisals. CNN interviews bank victims in China.

☆ Moldova outdoor assembly to confirm pro-European orientation
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Alexander Tanas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Moldova, one of Europe's poorest countries wedged between Ukraine and Romania, has been buffeted by Russia's war in Ukraine which President Maia Sandu has repeatedly denounced. Moldova and its population of 2.5 million, Sandu said, stood at a crossroads, with collective action needed for its future. Big decisions are taken by people during Great National Assemblies," she said. ... We are Europeans and at the Great National Assembly on 21st May, we will show that this is the path we have chosen." Moldova, like Ukraine, has formally sought to become a member of the European Union, a process which normally takes several years.

☆ 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 Baidu cancels ChatGPT-like Ernie bot's livestreamed product launch
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BEIJING, March 27 (Reuters) - Chinese search engine giant Baidu (9888.HK) on Monday cancelled a planned livestreamed product launch open to media and public related to its ChatGPT-like Ernie bot. The launch was meant to take place on Monday afternoon but has instead been changed to a closed-door meeting with the first batch of companies that are testing the product, Baidu said in a statement on Monday morning. Reporting by Eduardo Baptista; Editing by Muralikumar AnantharamanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ No risk of war in Moldova while Ukraine holds out - President Sandu
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Alexander Tanas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

CHISINAU, March 17 (Reuters) - President Maia Sandu said on Friday she saw no danger of war in Moldova while Russia is fighting in Ukraine, despite what she said were Russian efforts to destabilise her country. "There is no danger of war coming to Moldova while Ukraine is fighting," Sandu told parliament. "I want to reassure our citizens that Moldova is not now in any danger of war. Sandu repeated accusations, denied by Moscow, that Russia wants to destabilise Moldova. "As long as I am president, Moldova will hold out," said Sandu, who became president in 2020.

☆ Baidu wins permit to offer driverless robotaxi service in Beijing city
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Companies Baidu Inc FollowSHANGHAI, March 17 (Reuters) - Chinese search engine giant Baidu (9888.HK), said on Friday it had won a permit to provide a fully driverless ride-hailing service in the Chinese capital of Beijing. With the permit, Baidu's Apollo service will deploy 10 fully autonomous vehicles in a technology park developed by the government of Beijing, it said in a statement. The permit marks a step forward from December, when Baidu said it had been granted a license to test the service. Baidu will now operate driverless robotaxi services in three Chinese cities including Wuhan and Chongqing. The Beijing-headquartered company, which generates most of its revenue from its internet search engine, has been focused on self-driving technologies over the past five years as it looks to diversify.

☆ Baidu shares drop to 8-week lows after company reveals ChatGPT rival
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Men interact with a Baidu AI robot near the company logo at its headquarters in Beijing, China April 23, 2021. During a livestreamed release event, Baidu CEO Robin Li emphasized the company's product — called Ernie bot — is not perfect. Baidu is prioritizing initial Ernie bot access for what it calls 650 ecosystem business partners, which include some media companies, banks and car firms. Within an hour of the Ernie bot announcement, Baidu said 30,000 corporate clients had joined the waitlist for access to the chatbot. Baidu's Li said Ernie bot had similar issues if used enough, and that it wasn't perfect.

[1/3] Students walk past stalls during the orientation week at The University of Sydney, in Camperdown, Australia February 15, 2023. 'BIG RUSH'The shortage has meanwhile jumpstarted one of the few subsets of Australian residential property, the student accommodation sector, that languished during COVID. Before 2020, Chinese students accounted for about 40% of the A$40 billion ($27 billion) Australia made educating foreigners annually. But China's reopening has raised the issue about the availability of beds in a "welcome sign" for investors, said Brad Williams, managing director of AMP Capital's diversified infrastructure trust, Australia's third-largest owner of purpose-built student accommodation. Tomas Johnsson, CEO of UniLodge Australia, the country's biggest operator of purpose-built student accommodation, said some developers were even paying more to speed up construction.

Hong Kong CNN —Several popular Chinese apps have removed access to ChatGPT, the artificial intelligence chatbot that has taken the world by storm even as major Chinese tech companies race to develop their own equivalent. Two other apps, ChatgptAiAi and Chat AI Conversation, said their ChatGPT services went offline due to “relevant business changes” and policy changes. Meanwhile, Hanwang Technology and Beijing Deep Glint Technology, both developers of AI products and services, closed 10% and 5.5% lower respectively. Despite these concerns, the success of ChatGPT has spurred a global AI race. In the absence of foreign competition within the domestic market, Chinese tech companies have since grown into major international players — many of which are now revving their gears with an eye toward AI.

☆ Baidu says its alternative to ChatGPT is coming to the public in March
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Sun Yilei | ReutersBEIJING — Chinese tech giant Baidu said Wednesday its artificial intelligence product Ernie bot is set to open to the public next month. "We will embed Ernie bot into Baidu search first and we'll open it to the public in March," Baidu CEO Robin Li said Wednesday during an earnings call, according to a FactSet transcript. Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon Baidu 12-month share performanceDespite widespread assessments that ChatGPT is transformative for tech, businesses don't have a clear path to monetization yet. For Ernie bot, public partnership announcements include Baidu-backed video streaming platform iQiyi's plans for connecting to the bot for search and AI-generated content. Baidu-backed electric car startup Jidu — which is set to start deliveries this year — also said it plans to incorporate Ernie bot.

☆ What is happening in Moldova, Ukraine's tiny European neighbor with a pro-Russian movement?
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

President Maia Sandu on Monday accused Russia of plotting a coup to overthrow her pro-European Union government using "foreign saboteurs." Until now, Ukraine's defense forces and Western allies have estimated that Russia's renewed offensive would be concentrated in the east of the country. "President Sandu has been warning about these risks for months now," said Orr. Moldova, a landlocked European country on Ukraine's western border, has been battling political and economic instability following Russia's invasion of its neighbor. The attack came days before Moldova temporarily closed its airspace on Tuesday over what authorities say was a suspected Russian drone.

☆ Chinese EV startup Jidu plans to use ChatGPT-like tech
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Visitors look at a Jidu Robo-01 electric SUV during the 20th Guangzhou International Automobile Exhibition at Canton Fair Complex on Dec. 30, 2022 in Guangzhou, China. BEIJING — Baidu's ChatGPT-like product is set to come to electric, assisted-driving cars, startup Jidu said Tuesday. Jidu, backed by Baidu and Geely , is using Baidu's Apollo system for the in-car user interface and assisted driving tech. The startup plans to deliver its first car this year. Jidu plans to use Apollo with Baidu's ChatGPT-like product, called Ernie bot in English, the startup said.

☆ Moldova’s Pro-West President Accuses Russia of Planning Coup
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( James Hookway | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Moldova’s President Maia Sandu said the country’s security forces stopped an initial Russian plan to topple the government last fall. Moldova’s pro-European president accused Russia of trying to overthrow its democratic system and open a fresh front in Moscow’s war on Ukraine. In a televised address, President Maia Sandu said Moldovan authorities had confirmed details of an alleged Russian plot to co-opt the former Soviet republic that Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky had laid out to European Union leaders in Brussels last week.

☆ ChatGPT frenzy sweeps China as firms scramble for home-grown options
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Josh Ye | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/2] A response in Chinese by ChatGPT, an AI chatbot developed by OpenAI, is seen on its website in this illustration picture taken February 9, 2023. OpenAI or ChatGPT itself is not blocked by Chinese authorities but OpenAI does not allow users in mainland China, Hong Kong, Iran, Russia and parts of Africa to sign up. Dozens of bots rigged to ChatGPT technology have emerged on WeChat, with hobbyists using it to make programmes or automated accounts that can interact with users. ChatGPT supports Chinese language interaction and is highly capable of conversing in Chinese, which has helped drive its unofficial adoption in the country. CENSORSHIPReuters' tests of ChatGPT indicate that the chatbot is not averse to questions that would be sensitive in mainland China.

☆ Baidu to finish testing ChatGPT-style project 'Ernie Bot' in March; stocks rally
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING, Feb 7 (Reuters) - China's Baidu Inc (9888.HK) said on Tuesday it would complete internal testing of a ChatGPT-style project called "Ernie Bot" in March, as interest in generative artificial intelligence (AI) gathers steam. The news sent search engine giant Baidu's Hong Kong-listed shares up 15.3% on Tuesday. Baidu, China's answer to Google, joined the frenzy on Tuesday. A person familiar with the matter told Reuters last week that Baidu was planning to launch such a service in March. The company has been investing heavily in AI technology, including in cloud services, chips and autonomous driving, as it looks to diversify its revenue sources.

☆ Baidu to finish testing ChatGPT-style project 'Ernie Bot' in March
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BEIJING, Feb 7 (Reuters) - China's Baidu Inc (9888.HK) said on Tuesday it would complete internal testing of a ChatGPT-style project called "Ernie Bot" in March, joining a global race as interest in generative artificial intelligence (AI) gathers steam. It has gradually grown to be able to perform tasks including language understanding, language generation, and text-to-image generation, it added. Search engine giant Baidu's Hong Kong-listed shares jumped as much as 13.4% on the news. The company has also worked to add OpenAI's image-generation software to its Bing search engine in a new challenge to Alphabet Inc's (GOOGL.O) Google. The company has been investing heavily in AI technology, including in cloud services, chips and autonomous driving, as it looks to diversify its revenue sources.

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves premarket: Chegg, Baidu, Bed Bath & Beyond, Hertz and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The company gave first-quarter and full-year revenue guidance that was below analyst expectations, according to Refinitiv. Bed Bath & Beyond — Shares plunged 30% after Bed Bath & Beyond announced a public offering to raise roughly $1 billion. Hertz — Shares gained more than 4% after Hertz reported results that beat earnings per share and revenue expectations, according to FactSet. DuPont de Nemours — Shares declined 2% after DuPont de Nemours posted earnings results from its most recent quarter. Leggett & Platt — Shares fell more than 1% after Leggett & Platt reported disappointing earnings results, according to consensus expectations on FactSet.

Robin Li (or Li Yanhong in Chinese), founder, chairman and CEO of Baidu, introduces the new AI-powered digital assistant "Duer" during the 2015 Baidu Technology Innovation Conference on September 8, 2015 in Beijing, China. Shares of Baidu surged by more than 13% in Hong Kong as the company said it will launch its own artificial intelligence chatbot. The stock rose to $159.80 Hong Kong dollars per share, or 13.48% higher in Asia's morning trade. Google recently announced a similar service, Bard A. I.Ernie stands for "Enhanced Representation through Knowledge Integration," Baidu said, describing it as a "large language model" that was introduced in 2019. "What distinguishes ERNIE from other language models is its integration of extensive knowledge with massive data, resulting in exceptional understanding and generation capabilities," Baidu said.

☆ Companies can ‘hire’ a virtual person for about $14k a year in China
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-02 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Virtual singer Luo Tianyi performing with world renowned pianist Lang Lang in 2019 at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai, China. Launched in 2012, Luo Tianyi has nearly 3 million fans and even performed at the Winter Olympics opening ceremony in Beijing this year. BEIJING — From customer service to the entertainment industry, businesses in China are paying big bucks for virtual employees. It costs about 100,000 yuan ($14,300) a year for a three-dimensional virtual person, and 20,000 yuan for a two-dimensional one. Li expects the virtual person industry overall will keep growing by 50% annually through 2025.

☆ China’s Covid-19 Surge Puts Strain on Medical Workers
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Liyan Qi | Austin Ramzy | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Epidemic control workers in Beijing go to disinfect an epidemic area in a recently reopened neighborhood after China lifted its policies such as locking down areas and cities. The death of a Chinese medical student who had been doing hospital work shook healthcare workers across the country and stirred fears of inundated hospitals as the scrapping of Beijing’s strict Covid-19 restrictions has triggered a surge in infections. The West China School of Medicine in the southwestern city of Chengdu said that the first-year medical student, whom it referred to by his surname, Chen, collapsed on Tuesday after completing his clinical work. It said he died of cardiac arrest a little after 10 p.m. Wednesday.

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