China’s Industry and Information Technology Minister Jin Zhuanglong has said the country will drive the development of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics as it looks to boost growth, according to a report by the South China Morning Post.
Speaking to state media CCTV, Jin said the country will promote “emerging and future industries” to usher in a “new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation.” In a separate interview with state news agency Xinhua, Jin said Beijing will “map out digital transformation action plans for key industries and areas with AI as a highlight.”
Jin’s statements further China’s changing approach to artificial intelligence, after the world’s second-largest economy remained reluctant initially to embrace the global rush for generative AI. The past three years also saw China crack down on its once-thriving technology sector, wiping off more than $1 trillion in value from its biggest tech firms, including Alibaba and Tencent.
The change in China’s strategy towards AI comes amid a slowdown and billions of dollars worth of debt crisis in the country’s real estate sector — which has accounted for nearly a quarter of the country’s economic output.
It also follows a campaign by the United States to hobble China’s advanced technologies — ranging from chips to quantum computing. US sanctions targeting key Chinese chip firms have prompted President Xi Jinping to call for self-sufficiency in emerging and advanced technology in order to “avoid being strangled” by the West.
Read the full report: The South China Morning Post
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