Latest news with #Wu
CNBC
9 hours ago
- Business
- CNBC
CNBC's The China Connection newsletter: Chinese AI companies are already making money
From startups to tech giants, Chinese companies are finding business demand for their artificial intelligence services, even as AI models elsewhere keep burning cash. AI can now resolve more than 80% of online customer questions at Toyota's joint venture with Chinese state-owned carmaker FAW, more than twice as many as it could address half a year ago, Wu Yongjian, vice president at Tencent Cloud, told me on Friday. Tencent provides some AI tools to the automakers. And now it only takes around two weeks to get Tencent's AI customer-service platform up and running, down from up to three months, Wu told me, as we sat inside the company's shiny new office in an up-and-coming Shanghai waterfront district. Over the weekend, Tencent announced an upgrade to its Hunyuan AI model alongside releases by other companies as the "World AI Conference" got underway in the city. While not every company is seeing a similar demand for their products and services, the focus on business opportunities reflects a shift underway in China in capturing the AI opportunity. And that's also reflected in job applications. Zhou Yuxiang, CEO of Temasek-backed startup Black Lake Technologies, told me on Saturday that in the last few months he's been getting resumes from AI model engineers who want to shift into developing AI for specific industry applications. "Before it was hard to get AI engineers," he said in Mandarin, translated by CNBC. Black Lake primarily sells AI tools to small factories in China to help them speed up production and better utilize capacity. Many of the business owners are experiencing "FOMO" right now because they missed out on the direct-to-consumer e-commerce boom of the past few years, Zhou said, adding that the cost to use AI has also dropped significantly. formerly Zhipu, on Monday became the latest Chinese startup to slash operating costs with an open-source AI model release. Its pricing undercut Alibaba-backed startup Moonshot's Kimi K2 model released earlier this month, and DeepSeek's R1 in January, which offered lower rates compared with what industry leader OpenAI was charging people to use ChatGPT. Open source AI models can be used for free, and even altered and distributed, without special permission from the creator. Users who opt not to download the model can access them via the cloud and pay per use. Many businesses are realizing they need to have better data in order to apply AI effectively. It's a foundational layer that's seeing huge demand, just like chips, even if monetization of the AI application takes time. Chinese startup DeepExi, backed by venture capital firms Hillhouse and BAI, says its AI system combines business-specific data analysis with AI models to "deliver zero hallucination outputs." That means the system does not make up results, as generative AI models are quite prone to do. CNBC was unable to independently verify the claim. DeepExi lists clients such as Han's Laser Technology and an unnamed public healthcare operator "that oversees 40 public hospitals and 100 clinics." The startup's revenue surged by 88.3% to 242.9 million yuan last year, DeepExi said in an April filing with the Hong Kong Stock Exchange for a planned listing. Data labeling, or annotating bits of information for better AI use, is also seeing surging demand. Beijing-based Haitian Ruisheng last week estimated its revenue in the first half of 2025 grew by at least 61% from a year ago to 148.9 million yuan. Its revenue in 2024 was nearly 240 million yuan. After excluding items, profit is expected to have more than doubled to between 4.5 million yuan and 4.9 million yuan in the first half of the year, according to the company's filing with the Shanghai stock exchange. Haitian Ruisheng counts ByteDance, Alibaba, Tencent, Baidu and several U.S. "Magnificent 7" companies such as Microsoft and Amazon as clients, Zhang Zhe, the company's secretary to the board, said in Mandarin, translated by CNBC. In China, the company sees the greatest monetization opportunities in education, healthcare and tourism, Zhang said, adding that there was also potential in smartphones and "embodied intelligence" — a category that includes robots. Haitian Ruisheng combines automated data annotation with evaluation by human experts, Zhang said, adding that AI requires global cooperation and his company was eying overseas markets, with a subsidiary in Singapore. Just days after the U.S. unveiled its AI action plan, the Shanghai-based "World AI Conference" opened Saturday with Chinese Premier Li Qiang announcing plans for a global AI cooperation organization. China called for supporting AI integration across industries, including manufacturing, healthcare, education and agriculture. Tencent has already taken steps in that direction. It has local partnership in Japan for a "virtual human service" that domestic businesses can purchase, Wu said. That's a digital avatar of a human, often used for livestreaming and other digital content. Other popular AI business lines in regions such as Southeast Asia include "know your customer" identification verification for finance, translation services as well as a platform for developers to develop AI agents, Wu said. With these business projects — and broader state-backed ambitions — China has clearly gone beyond the labs in the global AI race. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent: Trump has 'final say' on all trade deals Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent joins 'Power Lunch' to discuss how trade talks happen, what's pending the President's approval and much more. EUCham in China: Beijing needs to address market barriers to foreign companies Jens Eskelund, the president of the EU Chamber of Commerce in China, says that European businesses in China believe in the economy's long-term potential – but have concerns around imbalances in trade, transparency, and market access. Watch CNBC's full interview with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer joins 'Squawk Box' to discuss the latest developments on U.S. trade negotiations, details of U.S.-EU trade deal, state of U.S.-China trade talks, and more. No U.S.-China trade truce extension yet. A possible extension of a tariff pause between Washington and Beijing will not be agreed to until President Donald Trump gives his nod, U.S. negotiators said Tuesday. At least 30 people die in torrential rain. State media reported the deaths at the outskirts of Beijing after the capital city issued a red alert for heavy rain on Monday. President Xi Jinping called for more work on flood prevention and disaster relief in the broader northern region. China ramps up support for births. The country on Monday announced the equivalent of about $500 a year per child under the age of three, following plans to roll out free preschool education. Mainland China and Hong Kong stocks were mixed Wednesday as U.S. trade talks with China hang in the balance. Mainland China's CSI 300 rose 0.51%, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index — which includes major Chinese companies — was 0.45% lower as of 10:07 a.m. local time (10:07 p.m. ET on Tuesday). The mainland benchmark has gained more than 5% so far this year, data from LSEG showed. July 31: Politburo meeting expected Official PMI for manufacturing, services Nio to officially launch Onvo L90 electric car Aug. 1 - 4: China Joy gaming conference in Shanghai Aug. 1: S&P Global China General Manufacturing PMI Aug. 5: S&P Global China General Services PMI
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
How Many Days a Week Should You Do Mobility Exercises to See Results? A Trainer Explains
Having good mobility is essential for healthy aging, though many people do not think about mobility — the ability to coordinate your body's movements to carry out daily tasks with control and stability — when planning their workouts. 'Mobility is extremely important as we age. We typically get stiffer and less mobile, so making sure to maintain motion in our joints and soft tissue is crucial for overall all health,' Karena Wu, doctor of physical therapy, Start TODAY trainer and owner of ActiveCare Physical Therapy, previously 'Our joints sit the deepest, so motion here means the overlying soft tissue will be more pliable and malleable, which means better control, circulation, range of motion, balance and performance.' In the Start TODAY app, Wu offers mobility routines that target specific areas, from the low back, to the hips, to the neck and shoulders, plus full-body mobility programs designed to improve range of motion and functional fitness while reducing aches and pains. Trainer Tip of the Day: Do Mobility Exercises 3 Times a Week At least three times a week, Wu recommends that people incorporate mobility exercises into their regular routines. 'People forget that stretching and mobilization is a 'workout.' It is an integral part of health and wellness and should be incorporated at least a couple times during the week depending on your condition and health status,' Wu said. Mobility helps with daily activities, such as walking without falling or getting out of a chair with minimal effort. Having bolstered mobility also improves other types of workouts. 'Having a full range of motion allows for the best muscle activation so exercises can work the soft tissue through the entire range,' Wu explained. To ease into it, try the Start TODAY app's 4-Week Healthy Aging Workout Plan, which includes mobility training once a week as part of a well-rounded exercise routine. Why It Matters As we age, we lose muscle mass, weakening our strength and stability. This can lead to falls with broken bones or injuries from carrying out daily tasks. Having good mobility can prevent painful accidents. 'In my experience, clients that have good mobility have ... less injuries and (are) able to recover more quickly,' Wu said. 'Mobility allows for better neuromuscular communication and improved circulation and blood flow. All of these can help with avoiding injuries and allowing for normal function with no limitations, compensations or perceptions of pain.' How to Get Started To boost your mobility, it's important to work your muscles in a range of motion. Some mobility exercises that you can do at home to improve your mobility include: Single controlled arm circles Static shoulder stretches Standing hip controlled articular rotations (CARs) Leg stretches Thoracic rotations Wall chest stretches Download the Start TODAY app for video demonstrations of mobility exercises like these. TODAY's Expert Tip of the Day series is all about simple strategies to make life a little easier. Every Monday through Friday, different qualified experts share their best advice on diet, fitness, heart health, mental wellness and more. This article was originally published on
South China Morning Post
a day ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Alibaba, Standard Chartered partner to accelerate AI adoption in banking sector
The two companies signed a memorandum of understanding that would see Standard Chartered leverage solutions from Alibaba Cloud – the Hangzhou -based firm's AI and cloud computing services arm – to enhance operational efficiency and elevate customer experience, according to a statement on Tuesday from Alibaba, which owns the South China Morning Post. 'Through this strategic alliance, we will combine Alibaba's technological expertise with Standard Chartered's deep industry knowledge to unlock new possibilities,' Alibaba CEO Eddie Wu Yongming said. Their cooperation includes building AI-powered customer engagement tools, automating risk management and compliance, and talent development at the bank through AI workshops and certifications for employees. 'From education to healthcare and scientific research, AI has already shown its potential to drive transformational change,' Wu said.
Boston Globe
2 days ago
- Health
- Boston Globe
Kraft criticizes Wu for reported needle injury to 4-year-old at South Boston park
Mass and Cass is shorthand for the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue and Melnea Cass Boulevard and surrounding homeless encampments where open-air drug use is an around-the-clock occurrence. The Boston Herald reported the story on Monday. Kraft's statement was issued in response to the article and was distributed widely to media. The boy was pricked by the needle while playing barefoot near Columbia Road and Mercer Street on July 11. He required emergency medical care and was prescribed a prolonged HIV prevention regimen, Kraft said in a the statement. Kraft urged Wu to take emergency measures to rid the city streets, parks, and thoroughfares of discarded needles. Advertisement 'This is something that no mother, or any 4 year old child, should ever have to endure,' Kraft's statement said. 'As a result of Mayor Wu's failures to make progress at Mass and Cass, many people have been harmed including an innocent child. She promised to fix Mass and Cass, but instead the problems have spread to other parts of the city.' Boston police did not respond to a Globe inquiry as to whether they received a report of the incident. In comments made at an unrelated event on Monday morning, Wu also decried the boy's experience in the park. Advertisement 'It's just not OK,' Wu said according to a recording provided by her office. 'It's not OK to even have that as a possibility in the back of your mind ... If you have a young child, there's enough that's on your mind.' The city is committed to continuing its effort 'to end outdoor congregate substance use,' Wu said, and is 'looking at every possible way to ramp up the treatment and resources, while also making sure that enforcement is at the right level and right places.' Wu said the city coordinates daily sweeps for discarded needles in public parks and key areas of the city. 'We're picking these needles up almost immediately,' Wu said. 'And yet, the fact that they were there to begin with, that is what we need to tackle.' Kraft tied Boston's needle exchange program to the deluge of discarded needles around the city. 'Mass and Cass is a public health emergency, and the large number of discarded needles are a part of this emergency,' his statement said. 'The city disperses hundreds of thousands of needles every year, which they are happy to promote. It is also their responsibility to pick up discarded needles promptly to keep Bostonians safe — especially our children." Kraft's statement called for Wu 'to commit to taking emergency measures to pick up all discarded needles throughout Boston.' 'As Mayor, I will bring a new and different approach and urgency to this problem,' Kraft's statement said. The child's mothercould not be reached for comment by the Globe. Since the incident, she has called for urgent action from city leaders and elected officials. Advertisement In a statement, state Senator Nick Collins, who represents South Boston, said the 'tragic' incident was 'a stark reminder of the collateral damage caused by the ongoing drug and human trafficking crisis at Mass & Cass.' 'My thoughts are with the young victim and their family,' Collins' statement said. 'No one should have to experience something like this.' A city spokesperson said in a statement the city operates a Mobile Sharps Team that coordinates daily sweeps in public spaces and quickly pick up any needles reported to 311, the spokesperson's statement said. The city has formed a new partnership with the Gavin Foundation for 'transport and direct access to recovery beds for individuals identified at the Mass and Cass area,' the spokesperson said. Tonya Alanez can be reached at
Boston Globe
2 days ago
- Health
- Boston Globe
City announces $5 million in grants to address health inequalities in Dorchester, Mattapan, and Roxbury
'It means making sure that a mom can afford to feed her kids, access the doctor for those kids, make it to work on time and pay her rent without feeling like she's one [medical] visit away from being underwater,' Wu said, speaking at a press conference at the Great Hall at the Codman Square Health Center in Dorchester. Advertisement The grant money, provided by the Atrius Health Equity Foundation, will also be used to address disparities such as the gap in life expectancy among residents of the three neighborhoods, officials said. 'If you zoom out and look at our city as a whole, we have concerning disparities by race. Life expectancy amongst Black people as a whole is seven years lower than other Bostonians,' Ojikutu said. ' We believe that how long you live should not depend upon your race or ethnicity or your zip code.' And, when it comes to health in Boston, two miles makes a big difference. Some residents in Back Bay have a Advertisement The 23-year gap is just one of several issues identified by the commission facing residents, research shows. The main causes for premature death in Boston are cardiometabolic diseases, cancer, and unintentional drug overdoses, Wu noted that the city was prioritizing spending to address health, as President Trump's ' 'We are doubling down in the face of a federal administration that is clawing back access to critical life-changing resources, that's canceling research that will save lives, and who passed a bill that is certainly not beautiful,' Wu said. Each coalition is made up of three nonprofits that will team up to address critical issues underlying the disparities in health care. For example, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston, Link Health, and the Harvard Street Neighborhood Health Center will collaborate on a project where Boys and Girls Club alumni will be trained to meet Dorchester residents at health centers to help them access financial assistance benefits. 'Every single night in my emergency room, I see patients living on less than $20,000 a year making decisions between medications and food,' said Dr. Alister Martin of Link Health. 'Young folks from Boys and Girls Club ... will meet people where they're at, in the waiting rooms, and enroll them in these cash assistance programs.' Advertisement Wu said that the city wanted to give out the funding to coalitions so that the work of different nonprofits could be better coordinated. 'I think the way that a lot of cities would have done this, even with the same amount of resources ... is to put 15 different grants out the door and hope that it adds up,' Wu said. 'But this is about launching new and needed coalitions.' The coalitions each received $200,000 to fund the first year of their projects. They will each be awarded the remaining $1,050,000 over the next two years. For Christine Sinclair, a registered dietitian who works at Stop and Shop in Grove Hall, the collaboration among the Boys & Girls Club, the Harvard Street Neighborhood Health Center, and Link Health means that more patients will get access to healthy food. Sinclair currently runs a program funded by the city's public health commission where she provides education to roughly 35 patients with diabetes and helps them make healthier choices while buying groceries. 'We track their A1C levels and we've definitely seen progress,' Sinclair said, referring to blood sugar levels. In other projects, Upham's Community Care will deploy mobile health vans in the community, the Dorchester Food Co-op will give residents access to healthy food, and the Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corporation will provide financial literacy courses. 'We'll be able to meet community members where they live, where they go to school, where they congregate and try to bring the services to them,' said Jagdeep 'Jay' Trivedi, chief executive officer of Upham's Corner Health Center. Advertisement Immigrant Family Services Institute, the True Care Alliance Center, and the Massachusetts Association of Haitian Parents will collaborate to provide job training for 50 community health workers and for 500 immigrants hoping to enter the health care, biotechnology, early childhood education, and hospitality industries. 'We will be providing access, because in Mattapan this is something that we do not have,' said Dr. Geralde Gabeau, founder and executive director of the institute. 'We're going to provide English classes, computer classes, and ... help our young people think of jobs of the future.' The Community Builders, Codman Square Neighborhood Development Corporation, and Talbot Norfolk Triangle Neighbors United will team up to help eligible Dorchester residents build credit and find stable housing. The money will also be used to expand The Community Builders' food pantry. Angela Mathew can be reached at
