What is the picture of Shanghai hosting the World Artificial Intelligence Conference for six consecutive years? The doubling of chip speed and industrial scale is just superficial... Suiyuan Technology | doubling | scale | Shanghai | chip production | China Chip | six consecutive years | World Artificial Intelligence Conference

Using AI to explore stars and pharmaceuticals? As early as 2018, when the first World Artificial Intelligence Conference was held in Shanghai, the concept of "artificial intelligence driven research" was hotly discussed, but some people did not take it seriously. However, in 2021, Tencent really collaborated with the National Astronomical Observatory to help the Chinese Celestial Eye FAST search for new celestial bodies through "cloud+AI". So far, 30 pulsars have been discovered, and this year, for the first time, a rapid radio burst has been discovered. The progress in AI pharmaceuticals is also impressive. Yingsi Intelligence, a candidate drug designed by AI for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, has launched phase II clinical trials in China and the United States.

Those who didn't think so back then couldn't help but marvel at Shanghai's vision and its ability to bring AI ideals into reality.

Pulsar signal map. As of now, the Star Exploration Program has assisted Fast in discovering 30 pulsars through cloud+AI.

More valuable is perseverance. Today, the 2023 World Artificial Intelligence Conference kicked off as scheduled. This is the sixth consecutive year that Shanghai has hosted the conference. It is this determination and perseverance that has enabled the AI industry in Shanghai to flourish and flourish, with big trees beginning to grow. The latest data shows that the number of Shanghai's artificial intelligence enterprises on the scale has increased from 183 in 2018 to 348 in 2022, and the output value has doubled, jumping from 134 billion yuan to 382.1 billion yuan.

[Technology]

In 2018, the first year of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference was held, which was also a special year for the chip industry.

Around this year, a group of executives employed by semiconductor giants at home and abroad, driven by the popularity of artificial intelligence as the "Shanghai Highland", attracted teams, technology, and capital, and started their entrepreneurial journey with Shanghai as their dream starting point. Among them, there are already "open hanging" technologies such as Suiyuan Technology and Biren Technology. These elite companies have rapidly transformed and grown in Shanghai, and since 2020, more than 30 "Shanghai chips" have been mass-produced. Among them, the Wall Ren General GPU chip has set a global computing power record, and automotive grade intelligent chips such as Horizon and Black Sesame are expected to break the overseas monopoly in the L4 level autonomous driving field. Choosing the right AI chip track, coupled with unconventional investments in resources, capital, and talent, domestic chips have finally gained some confidence. Recently, SAIC Motor Corporation (SAIC) has launched 49 high computing power and high specification automotive chips that urgently need joint research and development, and is soliciting the feasibility of domestic substitution from the Shanghai Automotive Chip Industry Alliance. As a result, very few were rejected by alliance members, and most chips were classified as "negotiable".

Deep Thinking 2.0.

Chips are catching up, and algorithms are also stunning. At the end of 2021, Pfizer COVID-19 small molecule oral drug Paxlovid was approved for emergency use by the US FDA. But many people are unaware that in the early development process of the drug, Chinese technology company Jingtai Technology and Pfizer team collaborated to confirm the advantageous crystal form of the drug in just six weeks using AI algorithms combined with experimental verification methods. The screening of advantageous crystal forms is like finding a needle in a haystack, and AI's move directly accelerates the process of new drug launch, benefiting patients worldwide. In terms of basic algorithms, Zhou Jian, founder and CEO of Shanghai Lanma Technology, has innovatively launched an intelligent agent application and development platform based on the big language model. It adopts Chinese independently designed software architecture and system paradigm, which is expected to help everyone design intelligent agents suitable for themselves, greatly improving work efficiency.

There is also the Shanghai brand of embodied intelligence, which has long been well-known overseas. Like Xijing Technology, which focuses on unmanned and intelligent multimodal transportation, it has been implemented in over 160 nodes in 18 countries and regions worldwide. Felixstowe, the largest port in the UK, has just signed an agreement with Nishii Technology to add 100 new energy intelligent unmanned truck Q-Trucks. No wonder there is a saying in the domestic artificial intelligence industry that each has its own strengths, except for Shanghai's comprehensive development - chips are particularly strong, and algorithm hardware is also weak.

Xijing Technology products are located at ports in the UK.

Ecology

In February of this year, Shanghai held its first high-level conference for AI developers - the 2023 Global Artificial Intelligence Developer Pioneer Conference, which led to phenomenon level defections from dozens of developer communities at home and abroad, such as Linux, Red Hat, and Huawei Shengsi. Various signs indicate that Shanghai is making every effort to cultivate and strengthen the "developer community" as a key part of the industrial ecosystem and technological research.

Wang Jian, founder of Alibaba Cloud and academician of the CAE Member, was at the 2023 Global AI Developer Pioneer Conference.

The cultivation of industrial ecology has always been Shanghai's obsession. The first five-year plan for local artificial intelligence in China, the "22 articles" for high-quality development of artificial intelligence, the first algorithm innovation action plan in China, the first provincial-level local regulation on artificial intelligence in China, and the first local artificial intelligence standard system in China are all born in Shanghai.

There are also various factors that promote ecological prosperity, such as the Shanghai Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Unmanned Systems Science Center, Magnolia Open Source Platform, and the AI Youth Scientists Alliance established by the World Artificial Intelligence Conference. These factors stack up layer by layer, making it increasingly difficult to resist the charm of Shanghai's highlands. The International Artificial Intelligence Joint Conference, one of the top three international artificial intelligence organizations, will be linked with the conference's dream. The hosting rights for its 2024 conference have also been secured in Shanghai, indicating that various elites have already voted with their feet.

[Scenario]

The scene is Shanghai's killer weapon.

Since 2019, Shanghai has released three batches of 58 major AI application scenarios, such as Zhangjiang Artificial Intelligence Island and Lingang Digital Twin City. In addition, Shanghai has won the championship in four national level tracks: intelligent connected vehicles, medical image assisted diagnosis, visual image identity recognition, and intelligent sensors. It has been shortlisted for 22 projects. It is the release of these top-level scenarios that has brought Shanghai the world's top innovative products and solutions.

The unmanned container truck logistics and distribution business scenario of Donghai Bridge is a major AI application scenario released by Shanghai.

The Tata robot is in the shelter.

At this year's World Artificial Intelligence Conference, the Zhangjiang branch will release major application scenarios for the metaverse in 2023 and launch the 2023 China Metaverse Cost Reduction and Efficiency Enhancement Industrialization Empowerment White Paper. In the eyes of many AI companies, the AI industry in Shanghai has a tangible human reality within reach.

Fan Jincheng, the Party Secretary of the Science and Technology Commission of Pudong New Area, once proudly said that in recent years, he has had too much contact with AI chip companies. The founder team often comes with backpacks, checks, and loans, and in a few years, they can walk out with their own company's stocks.

Hanbo Semiconductor was established in Shanghai in December 2018. Founder and CEO Qian Jun once sighed. "We, who make computing chips, are called 'treasures' in Shanghai, and we are indeed spoiled as treasures."

It can be seen that Shanghai's persistent efforts in organizing meetings have always been just a means. Building platforms, gathering talents, realizing the collision of cutting-edge technological perspectives, and forming efficient circular linkage with the construction of artificial intelligence industry highlands are the true goals.