Can China Grow Its Own AI Tech Base?

Last December, China's top AI scientists gathered in Suzhou for the annual Wu Wenjun AI Science and Technology Award ceremony. They had every reason to expect a feel-good appreciation of China's accomplishments in AI. Yet the mood was decidedly downbeat. "After talking about our advantages, everyone mainly wants to talk about the shortcomings of Chinese AI capabilities in the near-term--where are China's AI weaknesses," said Li Deyi, the president of the Chinese Association for Artificial Intelligence. More than two years after the release of the New Generation Artificial Intelligence Development Plan (AIDP), China's top AI experts worry that Beijing's AI push will not live up to the hype.