A Chinese tech giant has declared its intent to master AI

One of China's biggest tech companies, Tencent, is establishing an AI research lab in Seattle, demonstrating a growing determination to master a technology that looks set to define the future of many industries. Tencent is already one of China's dominant tech companies. It operates the hugely successful mobile chat app WeChat--which boasts over 889 million active users in China--along with lots of other social tools, e-commerce services, games, and the like. Based in Shenzhen, a manufacturing hub in the southeastern part of the country, Tencent has the potential to become a key player in the development and commercialization of artificial intelligence. The company has the money, the reach, and the data to attract strong researchers.