Latest news with #WAIC
The Star
7 hours ago
- Business
- The Star
Humanoid robots embodiment of China's AI ambitions
SHANGHAI: Serving craft beer, playing mahjong, stacking shelves and boxing, the dozens of humanoid robots at Shanghai's World AI Conference (WAIC) last weekend were embodiments of China's growing AI prowess and ambition. The annual event is primed at showcasing China's progress in the ever-evolving field of artificial intelligence, with the government aiming to position the country as a world leader on both technology and regulation as it snaps at the United States' heels. Premier Li Qiang announced China would set up a new organisation for cooperation on AI governance, warning the benefits of development must be balanced with the risks. But in the cavernous expo next door, the mood was more giddy than concerned. "Demand is currently very strong, whether in terms of data, scenarios, model training, or artificial construction. The overall atmosphere in all these areas is very lively," said Yang Yifan, R&D director at Transwarp, a Shanghai-based AI platform provider. This year's WAIC is the first since a breakthrough moment for Chinese AI this January when startup DeepSeek unveiled an AI model that performed as well as top US systems for an apparent fraction of the cost. Organisers said the forum involved more than 800 companies, showcasing over 3,000 products – the undeniable crowd pleasers being the humanoid robots and their raft of slightly surreal party tricks. At one booth, a robot played drums, half a beat out of time, to Queen's We Will Rock You while a man in safety goggles and a security vest hyped up a giggling crowd. Other droids, some dressed in working overalls or baseball caps, manned assembly lines, played curling with human opponents or sloppily served soft drinks from a dispenser. While most of the machines on display were still a little jerky, the increasing sophistication year-on-year was clear to see. The Chinese government has poured support into robotics, an area in which some experts think China might already have the upper hand over the United States. At Hangzhou-based Unitree's stall, its G1 android – around 130 centimetres (four feet) tall, with a two-hour battery life – kicked, pivoted and punched, keeping its balance with relative fluidity as it shadowboxed around a ring. Ahead of the conference's opening, Unitree announced it would launch a full-size humanoid, the R1, for under US$6,000 (RM 25,413) . 'Digital humans' Most high-tech helpers don't need hardware though. At the expo, AI companions – in the form of middle-aged businessmen, scantily clad women and ancient warriors – waved at people from screens, asking how their day was, while other stalls ran demos allowing visitors to create their own digital avatars. Tech giant Baidu on Saturday announced a new generation of technology for its "digital humans" – AI agents modelled on real people, which it says are "capable of thinking, making decisions, and collaborating". The company recently ran a six-hour e-commerce broadcast hosted by the "digital human" of a well-known streamer and another avatar. The two agents beat the human streamer's debut sales in some categories, Baidu said. Over ten thousand businesses are using the technology daily already, the department's head Wu Chenxia told AFP. Asked about the impact on jobs – one of the major concerns raised around widespread AI adoption – Wu insisted that AI was a tool that should be used to improve quality and save time and effort, which still required human input. In China, the integration of AI into everyday life is beginning to pick up pace. At WAIC, Baidu also announced it had been granted a permit to operate fully driverless robotaxis in parts of the massive Pudong district, the service's first foray into downtown Shanghai. For now, few visitors to the WAIC expo seemed worried about the potential ramifications of the back-flipping dog robots they were excitedly watching. "When it comes to China's AI development, we have a comparatively good foundation of data and also a wealth of application scenarios," said Transwarp's Yang. "There are many more opportunities for experimentation." – AFP
Straits Times
13 hours ago
- Business
- Straits Times
China Southern Power Grid Showcases Multiple AI Achievements at 2025 World Artificial Intelligence Conference
SHANGHAI, July 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- From July 26 to 28, the 2025 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) convened in Shanghai under the theme "Global Solidarity in the AI Era." As a strategic partner of the event, China Southern Power Grid (CSG) unveiled an exhibition themed "Empowering Every kwh with AI" and hosted a forum focused on AI-driven innovation in the power sector. CSG also presented a range of AI-powered applications at the China AI Industry Innovation Exhibition, highlighting its latest initiatives to integrate AI into energy and power systems and support the growth of a smarter industrial ecosystem. In recent years, CSG embraced emerging technologies—particularly artificial intelligence—and achieved a number of breakthrough advances. These include strengthening its technological foundation, deploying a wide range of demonstration scenarios, and helping build an AI ecosystem within the power sector. These efforts have played a key role in building the New Energy System and the New Power System and serving the industry's transition to low-carbon and environmentally responsible operations. Looking ahead, CSG will continue to prioritize national strategic objectives, including the Digital China initiative and the broader energy transition. The company plans to deepen its research into AI technologies and expand their application across the energy sector, while strengthening collaboration across the industry value chain. Through these efforts, CSG aims to contribute Chinese solutions and expertise to the global digital and intelligent transformation of the energy industry, and to the long-term goals of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality.
NDTV
20 hours ago
- Business
- NDTV
'Marathon At F1 Speed': China Bids To Lap US In AI Leadership
China: Beyond dancing robots and eager-to-help digital avatars, Shanghai's World AI Conference saw China stake its claim to global artificial intelligence leadership and frame itself as a clear alternative to the United States. Assumptions that the US was far ahead in the fast-moving field were upended this year when Chinese start-up DeepSeek unveiled a chatbot that matched top American systems for an apparent fraction of the cost. With AI now at the forefront of the superpowers' tech race, the World AI Conference (WAIC) that ended Tuesday saw China set out its case to take charge of shaping its global governance too. China, the United States, and other major economies are "engaged in a marathon at Formula One speed", said Steven Hai, assistant professor of tech innovation at Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University. "Which country will attain the upper hand can only be assessed dynamically over the course of development." China and the United States dominate the AI sector -- only 10 to 15 percent of models developed in recent years were built without either's participation, according to Epoch AI, a non-profit research institute. While US companies like Google and OpenAI are still industry-leading, the institute labelled 78 percent of Chinese models "state-of-the-art" compared to 70 percent of models built with American participation. Beijing's stated aim is to become the world's leading AI "innovation centre" by 2030. "Now China is neck-and-neck with the United States in terms of core tech, that play (for global leadership) is more relevant than ever," said Tom Nunlist, associate director for tech and data policy at Trivium China. "With a solid AI offering and the US turning inward, the question is, will Beijing's vision gain greater global traction?" In May, Microsoft's Brad Smith told the US Senate that "the number-one factor" in the tech race "is whose technology is most broadly adopted in the rest of the world". 'Sovereign AI' China's offer is technical and economical. "One of the biggest differences (with the US sector) is that most of the leading models in China... are open-weight and open-source," former Google CEO Eric Schmidt told an audience at WAIC. That means they can be adapted by other countries to fit their own needs, said George Chen, partner at Washington-based policy consultancy The Asia Group. "We already see some countries like Mongolia, Kazakhstan, even Pakistan are trying to adopt the DeepSeek model to build their own," he said. "China has a chance to win in the aspect of sovereign AI to export its model to those countries." The comparatively low cost of Chinese technology -- software but also hardware, for example, through firms like Huawei -- will be a big factor, especially for developing countries, Chen added. On Monday, another Chinese start-up, Zhipu, announced its new AI model -- also open-source -- would cost less than DeepSeek to use. In June, OpenAI accused Zhipu of having close ties with Chinese authorities and noted it was working with governments and state-owned firms across Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. "The goal is to lock Chinese systems and standards into emerging markets before US or European rivals can," it said. Washington has moved to protect its lead in AI, expanding efforts to curb exports of state-of-the-art chips to China in recent years. "While limiting China's share of the global AI hardware market, (these measures) have accelerated indigenous innovation and led Chinese firms to exploit regulatory loopholes," said assistant professor Hai, referring to "rife" smuggling and circumvention. Issues of trust? Other challenges to homegrown firms include the closed nature of the Chinese internet and "general issues of trust when it comes to using Chinese tech", Trivium's Nunlist said. At WAIC, China sought to present itself as a responsible power. Premier Li Qiang emphasised the risks of AI and pledged to share technology with other nations, especially developing ones. His remarks contrasted sharply with US President Donald Trump's aggressive low-regulation "AI Action Plan" launched just days before and explicitly aimed at cementing US dominance in the field. China released its own action plan at WAIC, following a meeting attended by delegates from dozens of countries. Li also announced the establishment of a China-led organisation for international AI cooperation. However, China's foreign ministry did not respond to a request from AFP for details on the set-up of the organisation -- including any international participants -- and several foreign delegates said they had not been briefed on the announcement beforehand. Analyst Grace Shao wrote that it was clear AI was still in its "infancy stage". "You can sense that vibrant energy but also the immaturity of the space," she wrote on Substack. "There just shouldn't be a definitive conclusion on who is 'winning' yet."
The Sun
21 hours ago
- Business
- The Sun
Suanova Information, a Yeebo's Subsidiary, Makes Its Debut at the 2025 WAIC
HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 30 July 2025 - Suanova Information (Shanghai) Limited ('Suanova Information'), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Yeebo (International Holdings) Limited ('Yeebo' or the 'Company', stock code: 259, which together with its subsidiaries is referred to as the 'Group') made its debut at the 2025 World Artificial Intelligence Conference ('WAIC') held in Shanghai from 26 to 29 July, and hosted a major forum. Suanova Information, under Yeebo, focuses on three business areas covering compute power and cloud operations, computing industry investment and computing technology development. It aims to accelerate the deep integration and application of AI across various sectors through independent innovation. As a domestic cloud computing pioneer, Suanova Information offers professional, independent, and innovative one-stop services to enterprises in China. With branches in Hong Kong and Shanghai, it provides customers with better localized services. Leveraging strategic investments, partnerships, and an openness to new technologies, Suanova Information has developed solid and full-stack service capabilities, from core components to application deployment, solidifying its position as a major player in mainland China's AI compute. At the 2025 WAIC, Suanova Information, alongside several technology companies from its computing investment portfolio, presented its comprehensive industry ecosystem to attendees from around the world. Together, they showcased various core computing components, solutions, and practical case studies. Suanova Information also leveraged this opportunity to demonstrate its compute power and cloud operational capabilities. The Group currently manages advanced, fully autonomous AI computing infrastructure in Hong Kong and Shanghai – the 'Harvest' series intelligent computing centers. These centers operate Artificial Intelligence Data Centers ('AIDC') housing over 3,000 GPU card clusters. Their client base spans industry and research institutions, including Tsinghua University, Fudan University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Institute for Advanced Algorithms Research, Shanghai, and Hong Kong Broadband Network ('HKBN'). The 'Harvest' series clusters are distinguished by their leading domestic localization, high-grade network and high-speed storage, seamless integration with public and computing clouds, flexible delivery models, an independently controllable private computing platform, and high-level SLA services, all designed to provide clients with stable and efficient AI computing support. Beyond its role as an exhibitor, Suanova Information, together with its industry chain partners, hosted the 'Suanova Information: Intelligent Convergence in the East, Connecting Global Ecosystems Forum' in the afternoon of 27 July. The forum focused on two major topics: 'Domestic Full-Stack Integration' and 'Shanghai-Hong Kong Cooperation Towards the World'. It convened domestic and international experts, academics, and industry leaders to discuss the latest advancements in computing and AI technology, explore industry ecosystem collaboration, and address the opportunities and challenges for Chinese technology expanding globally. The forum commenced with an opening speech by Mr. Zhang Hongtao, Deputy Director of the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Informatization, followed by a welcome address from Mr. Fang Yan Tak, Douglas, Chairman of Yeebo. The forum featured keynote speeches from academic and industry leaders, including Professor Tim Kwang Ting Cheng, Vice-President for Research and Development of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology; Mr. Wang Yanfeng, Executive Dean of the School of Artificial Intelligence at Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Shanghai Jiao Tong University Industrial Innovation Research Institute; Dr. Suo Guang of KylinSoft Corporation; Mr. Xu Runan, Senior Vice President and President of the Cloud and Computing Storage Product Line at H3C Technologies Co., Ltd.; and Dr. Denis Yip, President and Group Chief Operating Officer of HKBN Group. Additionally, academic experts, founders, and senior management teams from various renowned universities and enterprises participated in panel discussions and sharing sessions. During the forum, guests shared the story behind the creation of the domestic high-density cabinet, 'Shanghai Cube,' and their experiences in building and operating the first 'Shanghai-produced card' computing power cluster with a thousand-card scale. In his welcome address, Mr. Fang Yan Tak, Douglas, Chairman of Yeebo, remarked: 'The aspiration of Suanova Information is to provide crucial financial support to outstanding technology enterprises, and to do everything to assist the companies we invest in, especially during challenging times. Suanova Information is committed to being a pioneer in the market, leading the charge in the adoption of domestic AI products powered by Chinese computing capabilities. We believe in fostering open partnerships, and aim to bring exceptional 'Shanghai Solutions' and Chinese technology to the market – from Shanghai to Hong Kong, and from China to the world.' Through the significant effort and investments in AI compute and related businesses in the past two years and Yeebo has established itself as one of the key players in the AI arena in mainland China. Leveraging targeted investments in scalable infrastructure, strategic partnerships, and an open-minded approach to emerging technologies, Yeebo has built a foundation that aligns with the accelerating demand for AI solutions across industries. These initiatives not only strengthen Yeebo's competitive positioning but also reinforcing its commitment to delivering consistent growth in a rapidly evolving market. Yeebo's strategic groundwork laid in AI compute and related businesses has positioned the Group for meaningful and sustained growth in the years ahead.
The Sun
21 hours ago
- Business
- The Sun
Malaysia secures RM2.97b digital investments from China
PUTRAJAYA:** Malaysia has secured RM2.97 billion in confirmed digital investments from leading Chinese technology firms, paving the way for over 6,800 high-value digital jobs nationwide, Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo announced. The investments, secured during a high-level mission to China led by Gobind, reinforce Malaysia's position as a regional leader in digital transformation. The mission, held alongside the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) 2025 in Shanghai, resulted in strategic partnerships with major Chinese tech players. Companies such as Baidu (via Wisetech), Tsing Digital, iSoftStone, Inspur Group, China Mobile International, and China Unicom have pledged support for Malaysia's digital ambitions. These firms bring advanced technologies and expertise to strengthen Malaysia's tech ecosystem. 'The mission demonstrated the strength of the Malaysia Digital (MD) initiative, which continues to attract high-quality investments aligned with national priorities,' Gobind said. He noted that MD Status recognitions and partnerships are enhancing Malaysia's global digital competitiveness while creating opportunities in Selangor, Johor, and Perak. Gobind urged Chinese firms to establish more innovation centres in Malaysia, reinforcing the country's ambition to become ASEAN's digital innovation hub. He emphasised the need for new tech-based ecosystems, including autonomous mobility platforms and a national command centre to support smart city development. 'Digital technologies are reshaping society, and Malaysia is leading with a values-based approach,' he said. He highlighted the growing role of AI agents—intelligent systems capable of autonomous decision-making—as key drivers of modern digital transformation. To ensure responsible AI deployment, Gobind proposed AI certification frameworks to align emerging technologies with national priorities and ethical safeguards. He also announced Malaysia's plan to launch the ASEAN AI Safety Network during its ASEAN chairmanship this year to harmonise regional governance. 'The world is entering the age of intelligence, and trust in AI systems is crucial,' Gobind said. - Bernama
