China’s financial hub Shanghai is joining the global tide to promote artificial intelligence by introducing 22 key measures to boost industry’s talent, open data movement and fundraising, according to Shanghai government’s website.
According to new measures, the Shanghai government will speed up to open public data on key areas such as education, medical care and tourism.
The city is planning to formulate lists of open public data resources, which are in the forms of text, pictures, among others, so as to satisfy the AI’s deep learning demand.
In terms of financial support, Shanghai is encouraging social capital to set up a development fund worth about RMB100 billion (US$15.1 billion) to bolster the development of businesses related to AI technologies.
Similarly, the government will support the application of AI products in areas such as public transport, merchandising, trade-related services and modern agriculture.
In specific, it will build about 60 business scenarios for the deep learning application of AI enterprises and set up over 100 AI demonstration application projects.
In addition, about three to four AI smart towns and five AI demonstration parks are on government’s agenda.
“Shanghai has a satisfactory basis and conditions to develop artificial intelligence,” said Li Qiang, communist party secretary of Shanghai at the opening ceremony of 2018 World Artificial Intelligence Conference.
The city is also offering favorable measures to skilled IT engineers and developers at start-ups. The Shanghai government will help those talent to obtain work permits and residence permits to stay in the city, providing international education to their children, offering healthcare services and housing subsidiaries.
“The city locates at Yangtze River delta region, the most well-developed economic area in China. Shanghai is a natural testing ground for artificial intelligence’s application with its concrete industrial system and open market environment,” Li said at the same event.
“Meanwhile, the city has set up an ample sensor system and application environment in six main sectors including smart manufacturing and smart transport,” Li added.
AI, which is used in a wide range of areas including autonomous driving, finance, medical and public security, is viewed by Shanghai officials as a key technology to accelerate the city’s transformation into a global innovation hub.
Source: China Money Network
