Shanghai displayed many Artificial Intelligence (AI), including Robots that can play chess and offer massage services, intelligent algorithms to recognise Oracle characters, micro “AI brains” for urban management and autonomous vehicles.
Shanghai is showing its AI prowess, which is highly connected with the city’s digital transformation and strategy blueprint. Shanghai tech firms bring the latest innovations and local government enhanced its efforts to make the city more intelligent and safe.
Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology recognised some Oracle characters in the booth of the Shanghai-based Information, which released next-generation smart characters and document recognition technologies.
Shanghai displayed a real-time carbon emission reduction figure, fueled by its OCR technologies used in business cards and fiscal reports helping people use less paper. A “digital governance brain” with data collection and analysis for the city digital transformation was also displayed.
A Shanghai-based cloud service provider, introduced its AI box products with facial recognition, temperature measurement, picture comparison and computer vision techs. It represents a convergence between cloud service and AI applications in edge devices.
The cloud service provider partnered with a startup to develop quantum computing and quantum cloud platform. Quantum computing is considered one of the most promising technologies, as integrated circuit technology gradually approaches the atomic limits.
A self-driving brand truck displayed its L5 Autonomous truck that is equipped with a 360-degree sensory system with traffic monitoring and driving guidance system. The company is seeking business opportunities domestically.
In 2020, Shanghai had 1,149 AI firms to establish a complete industry chain. The AI industry output reached 224.6 billion yuan (US$35.1 billion), 50% growth year on year. The city’s three strategic sectors are AI, chips and biomedicine.
A tech firm launched China’s first large-scale humanoid service robot. With six AI technologies and eight-core functions, the robot was demonstrated with functions like playing chess, compliant force-controlled massage, visual positioning navigation, fast walking, single-leg balance and walking on uneven ground.
With full-link voice interaction, the robot can do work such as serving tea, pouring water, delivering things, watering flowers, wiping tables and controlling home appliances such as refrigerators and vacuum cleaners. This robot invention is a breakthrough in the Chinese service robot sector and accelerates AI applications in the robot sector.
An AI company featured autonomous driving and augmented reality displays in vehicles. The new technology bus can be operated and stopped fully automated in fixed zones with L4 autonomous technology. It will be used in commercial zones and scenic areas in cities like Wuxi and Lijiang.
In Shanghai, tech giants as well as most promising AI firms have set up AI-related facilities. Chip designers are working on general and high-end chip development with more firms to develop applications for digital transformation in various industries. The AI talent number hit 187,000 by July of 2020 IN Shanghai, taking a leading position nationwide. In the city, 104 AI-related degree programs have been set up by 38 universities and colleges.
Micro AI brain as an urban management system covering the Nanjing Road and neighbouring commercial zones was also presented. During a recent light show on the Huangpu River, 3.4 million people visited the zone over five days. The AI brain system smartly reacted to huge traffic and the sudden heavy rain to protect visitors.
Another company displayed “safety house” cloud services used in Shanghai’s official insurance program Huhuibao, which debuted this year to cover 19 million local citizens. The sensitive data is protected in the cloud “safety house” while various sides can access analysis results only, without accessing data directly.
Shanghai will develop AI in innovation, investment, platform and policy breakthroughs as a city-level strategy. By 2025, the city’s AI industry output will hit 400 billion yuan, double the 2020 level.
As reported by OpenGov Asia, Shanghai announced a municipal Artificial Intelligence (AI) plan that will look into rule changes related to digital technology, promote the establishment of technical standards and regulations and form a mechanism for monitoring risks and issuing early warnings. The entire plan will take a decade to carry out, but results from the first phase are expected in three years.
The plan will use scientific measures to regulate the industry so that it produces safe, reliable and controllable products. The plan will also help government agencies construct management rules and systems and enable users to properly use AI solutions with appropriate levels of self-protection.
