China is investing $2.1 billion in creating an AI research park. It is time to ensure that we are not left behind in this important skill. During the 2018 Budget presentation, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley informed that Niti Aayog will initiate national programmes on artificial intelligence (AI). China has already been heavily investing in AI in the past few years. According to Andrew Ng, Professor at Stanford University, AI is the next electricity; it will be the main force behind development like how electricity played a major role in world development during the early 20th century. The topic ofAI or'Thinking Machines' has been of interest to scientists since the early 20th century, when the first generation of computers was designed.

China is planning to build a 13.8 billion yuan (US$2.1 billion) technology park dedicated to developing artificial intelligence (AI), state-backed news agency Xinhua reported Wednesday. The campus will be constructed within five years and situated in the suburban Mentougou district in western Beijing. It will cover 54.87 hectares, Xinhua said. The technology park will be home to around 400 businesses and is expected to create an annual output value of about 50 billion yuan. High-speed big data, cloud computing, biometrics and so-called deep learning, a strand of AI, will be the focus of the new park.

BEIJING (Reuters) - Beijing is planning to build a 13.8 billion yuan ($2.12 billion) artificial intelligence development park in the city's west, the official Xinhua news agency reported, as China pushes ahead to fulfill its ambition to become a world leader in AI by 2025. The AI park will house up to 400 enterprises and have an estimated annual output of 50 billion yuan, Xinhua said, citing a report from authorities in Beijing's Mentougou district. Zhongguancun Development Group, the developer of the project, will look to partner with foreign universities and build a "national-level" AI lab in the area, Xinhua added. Zhongguancun Development and representatives for Beijing's Mentougou district could not be immediately reached for comment. China's plan to fast-track AI development comes amid heightened tensions between Beijing and the United States over the competitive applications of AI in military technology.

BEIJING (Reuters) - Beijing is planning to build a 13.8 billion yuan ($2.12 billion) artificial intelligence development park in the city's west, the official Xinhua news agency reported, as China pushes ahead to fulfill its ambition to become a world leader in AI by 2025.