The strength of Chinese AI developers lies in practical applications of artificial intelligence, rather than in large language models. However, the global race for dominance in artificial intelligence between the USA and China is intense. Chinese companies are making significant strides in humanoid robotics, showcasing their technological advancements.
The race between the USA and China in artificial intelligence has become a significant issue of our time, comparable to the space race during the Cold War with the Soviet Union. A snapshot of this race was recently evident at the leading AI conference in the People’s Republic of China.
This year’s World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) highlighted practical applications of AI, with a particular focus on robotics. In this area—applications—China is currently catching up to the USA rapidly. This trend is especially evident in bipedal, humanoid robots, which, thanks to their AI-enhanced brains, are becoming increasingly useful in a variety of industries.
Chinese AI Chips on Display
For example, “Healthy Loong,” a 1.85-meter tall and 82-kilogram bipedal robot developed by the Humanoid Robot Innovation Center in Shanghai, demonstrated its fine motor skills, capable of performing precise tasks. It can climb stairs, brew coffee, and effortlessly avoid obstacles with a walking speed of one meter per second.
The brain of this Chinese humanoid is based on the Large Language Model (LLM) “Zhuque” and the Baihu model, both developed by Chinese scientists. Such technological advancements attract significant attention in China. Given the US chip boycott against China, particularly focusing on AI chips, there was recent debate on whether China could keep up with the Americans in AI. As seen at this year’s WAIC, China can indeed compete.
“China Flexes Its AI Muscles at the Shanghai Expo,” headlined the Asia Times. The USA remains the global leader in LLM development. “In 2023, 61 significant AI models will originate from institutions in the USA, far outpacing the 21 from the EU and the 15 from China,” states a recent AI Index report from Stanford University in California.
However, when it comes to translating intelligent models into real-world applications, China has a significant competitive edge due to its advanced electronics industry. Humanoid robots are just one example. The WAIC also showcased numerous AI applications for smartphones, PCs, wearables, healthcare services, and components for self-driving vehicles.
Accelerating AI in Practical Applications
Despite the US chip boycott, Chinese entrepreneurs are finding ways not only to advance AI but also to commercialize it. “No one will deny that we face challenges with limited computing capacity in China,” Zhang Pingan, head of Huawei’s cloud computing division, said in a conference report by Reuters. “But if we believe we cannot become leaders in AI technology because we do not have the most advanced AI chips, we should abandon that view,” stated the Chinese manager.
Robin Li, CEO of the Chinese search engine and AI company Baidu, urged the Chinese industry to accelerate the integration of AI in practical applications. “Without applications, if you only have fundamental models, whether open source or closed source, it is worthless,” Robin Li said at the conference.