FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
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Chinese tech firms strive to make robots smarter

Chinese tech firms strive to make robots smarter

THE ROBOTS showcased at the just-concluded World Robot Conference in Beijing are becoming increasingly smart with the help of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, offering assistance in a range of fields including playing the piano and basketball, teaching children English and giving medical advice.

The trend is expected to continue as companies scramble to differentiate themselves amid mounting competition and meet consumers’ growing demand for intelligent products.
Wang Zhiguo, executive vice-president of the research institute at iFlytek, a leading voice-recognition company in China, said AI is of increasing importance to robots, as it gives machines “eyes, ears and a brain”.
About 3,000 robots are using the company’s AI technology to better understand human conversation and interact with consumers.
iFlytek itself unveiled a robot at the conference to assist at hospitals. After listening to a patient’s symptoms, the robot can offer guidance on which medical department the patient should visit for treatment.
Consultancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers forecast that AI-related industries will boost China’s GDP by as much as 26 per cent by 2030.
Zong Xiao, vice-president of HIT Robot Group, a major robot manufacturer in China, said the company has established an AI research and development institute in Zhejiang province to explore how to combine the cutting-edge technology with its mechanical prowess.
“AI to robots is what operating systems are to personal computers. This is an area into which we will pour huge resources in the future,” Zong said.
HIT Robot Group was established in December 2014 with funding from the provincial government and the Harbin Institute of Technology, an elite Chinese university that has conducted years of research on robotics. The university was the manufacturer of China’s first space robots and lunar vehicle.
Zong said the company has also established a venture capital fund to invest in promising AI start-ups in the United States, without disclosing the size of the fund. Two years ago, it set up offices in Silicon Valley and Washington DC to help access the latest AI trends and identify the industry’s best talents.
In June, China set up its first AI alliance in a move to expand the industry at a rapid pace. Led by the China Centre for Information Industry Development, tech giants including iFlytek, JD.com and Ecovacs Robotics teamed up to form the non-profit organisation.
Zhang Boxu, director of Beijing Municipal Commission of Economy and Information Technology, said the key battlefield for robotics is shifting from hardware competition to software.
“There is a growing demand for tailormade, Internet-connected robots. How to effectively integrate software and AI into machines will be the key to future growth,” Zhang said.
 

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