China has outlined plans to become a world-leader in artificial intelligence by 2025, laying down a challenge to U. S. dominance in the sector amid heightened international tensions over military applications of the technology. China released
BEIJING/SHANGHAI (Reuters) – China has outlined plans to become a world-leader in artificial intelligence by 2025, laying down a challenge to U. S. dominance in the sector amid heightened international tensions over military applications of the technology.
China released a national AI development plan late on Thursday, aiming to grow the country’s core AI industries to over 150 billion yuan ($22.15 billion) by 2020 and 400 billion yuan ($59.07 billion) by 2025, the State Council said.
With this major push into AI, China is looking to rival U. S. market leaders such as Alphabet Inc’s Google and Microsoft Corp, as it is keen not to be left behind in a technology that is increasingly key from smart cars to energy.
“The local and central government are supporting this AI effort, ” said Rui Yong, chief technology officer at PC maker Lenovo Group, speaking on the sidelines of an AI conference in Shanghai on Thursday.
“They see this trend coming and they want to invest more.”
Beijing’s AI plan comes as the United States is poised to bolster its scrutiny of investments, including artificial intelligence, over fears that countries including China could access technology of strategic military importance.
