Artificial intelligent technology in China

State Council of China released “Next Generation Artificial Intelligent Development Plan” (Plan) which will deploy some significant sci-tech projects for next generation artificial intelligent (AI), targeting to reach the international advanced level and the core scale of AI exceeding 1,000 billion yuan and drive 10,000 billion yuan of related industries by 2030.

Three-step strategy:

Since 2016, more and more Chinese enterprises were invested in research and development of AI.  Baidu, Alibaba and NetEase have established their own AI laboratories.  But AI in China is still less developed, which is the reason that the Plan clarifies the current problems and proposes a clear schedule and roadmap.

First step: by 2020, the general technology and application of AI should reach the world advanced level.  Technical codes, service system and the industrial ecological chain of AI will be initially set up and lots of advanced-level leading enterprises will be educated, which bring the overall industrial scale exceeding 150 billion yuan and related industries scale over 1,000 billion yuan.

Second step: by 2025, the basic theory of AI will achieve significant breakthrough.  Next generation AI will be widely used in the fields of intelligent manufacturing, intelligent medical, smart city, smart agriculture and national defense.  The scale of AI core industry will exceed 400 billion yuan and related industries will be over 5,000 billion yuan.

Third step: by 2030, the AI theory, technology and application will generally reach world leading level.  The scale of AI core industry will exceed 1,000 billion yuan and related industry will be over 10,000 billion yuan.

Six tasks

1.       Establish an open-access and coordinated sci-tech innovative system for AI;

2.       Educate high level and high efficient intelligent economy;

3.       Establish a safe and convenient smart society;

4.       Enhance the integration of military and civilian in the AI field;

5.       Construct safe and high efficient intelligent infrastructure;

6.       Prospectively layout significant next generation sci-tech AI projects.