China’s Guangdong unveils initiatives to boost AI industry
China has set a goal for its national computing performance to reach 300 exaflops by 2025.
If these goals are achieved, Guangdong will account for roughly 13 per cent of China’s total computing power.
“These measures were crafted to promote high-quality development in the province’s AI industry, to swiftly build new productive forces, to construct a modern industrial system, and to empower various sectors to enhance quality and efficiency,” the announcement said.
The measures require AI to be adopted in such fields as social governance, the digital economy and industrial innovation. They aim to apply the technology in sectors ranging from manufacturing to education and senior care.
This strategic move seeks to establish a mature artificial intelligence industrial chain in Guangdong, from the development and sourcing of chips to computational infrastructure, algorithm design, and deployment of AI-driven applications.
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This has set the stage for significant developments in AI in China as the country seeks to navigate and counterbalance the US-imposed pressures.
Guangdong will intensify efforts to boost the supply of core AI chip components as part of the measures.
“We are aiming to foster an innovative AI development ecosystem for chips, exploring integrated memory and computation, brain-inspired computing, chiplets, and instruction sets in both research and application,” the announcement said.
The goal is to improve the use of these chips in cloud and end-user applications and to expand the use of high-performance cloud servers, it added.
“By 2027, we expect to have initially established a robust artificial intelligence chip ecosystem.”
The province said it would work to ensure the smooth implementation of the objectives, including talent cultivation and policy support.
Guangdong will also coordinate provincial and city funds to “bolster financial backing for the AI sector and support AI project development”.
The province will formulate regulations for trustworthy AI products and services and create incentives for innovative products.
It will also work to attract top-tier AI talent through policies and implement training programmes for critical technical skills to build a strong foundation of AI expertise within the province.
AI education is thriving in China, exemplified by initiatives such as those at Fudan University in Shanghai. Beginning in September, the university will offer over 100 new AI courses for the next academic year.
