Global AI conference to be held for first time in city

Shanghai will host the inaugural World Artificial Intelligence Conference in September as part of efforts to bolster the development of an industry that is projected to generate over 100 billion yuan ($15.1 billion) within the next three years.

The conference is co-organized by several government agencies, including the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and the National Internet Information Office.

The Sept 17 to 19 conference, which will be attended by top researchers and senior executives from the industry, will host a series of forums, activities and exhibitions to discuss and showcase the latest AI developments, said Shanghai Vice-Mayor Wu Qing.

One of the events is the 2018 AI-Win competition which kicked off in June and will end in August. During this three-month competition, participants showcased their products related to robotics, machine-human interface, medical innovation and smart driving. The winners of the competition will be announced in September.

According to Chen Mingbo, director of the Shanghai Commission of Economy and Information Technology, the conference reflects the city's broader ambition of becoming the national leader in the AI sector which had an output of 70 billion yuan last year.

The city is presently planning to set up an AI fund containing more than 100 billion yuan as well as 10 public platforms for AI innovation, six demonstration zones and 60 AI applications.

Shanghai enjoys unique advantages in AI categories such as connected cars, smart manufacturing and medical image recognition, according to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. The advantages include having several leading companies for the mentioned sectors as well as pilot zones where such technologies can be trialed.

Contact the writer at hewei@chinadaily.com.cn