On the afternoon of January 15th, the Expert Meeting on Strategic Consultation of Artificial Intelligence was held in Xingguo Hotel in Shanghai. Relevant leaders and experts were present, including Xu Kuangdi, Vice Chairman of the 10th CPPCC National Committee and Director of Shanghai Artificial Intelligence Strategic Advisory Committee; Wu Qing, Vice Mayor of Shanghai; Pan Yunhe, Former Standing Vice President of China Academy of Engineering and Deputy Director of Shanghai Artificial Intelligence Strategy Consulting Expert Committee; Wu Hequan, Member of the Advisory Committee of the National Information Expert Group; Chen Mingbo, Deputy Secretary of CPC Shanghai Municipal Working Committee of Economy and Informatization and Chairman of Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Informatization; Zhang Xu, Vice President of Shanghai Branch of Chinese Academy of Sciences; Li Deyi, Chairman of the Chinese Society of Artificial Intelligence; Jiang Changjun, Vice Chairman of the Chinese Society of Artificial Intelligence and President of Donghua University; Mao Junfa, Vice President of Shanghai Jiaotong University; Wu Zhiqiang, Vice President of Tongji University; Qu Daokui, Chairman of China Robot Industry Alliance and President of SIASUN Robot Company; Hu Yu, CEO of IFLYTEK Co.,Ltd.; and Zhou Bowen, Vice President of Jingdong Group. Some famous enterprises founders were also invited, including Huang Xiaoqing, CEO of CloudMinds Technology; Zhu Mingjie, Founder and CEO of CRAIDIITX; and Lin Chenxi, Co-founder of YITU. Experts exchanged ideas on frontier scientific and technological issues, AI application scenarios, international cooperation, talent training and pooling as well as related issues like 2019 World AI Conference, providing advices for the development of AI in Shanghai.
Mr. Wu pointed out in his speech that 2019 will be a year of accelerated development of AI. It is important for Shanghai to follow the requirement of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speech, aim at the world's leading edge of science and technology, build on its advantages and characteristics, strengthen its forward-looking layout, accelerate innovation and breakthroughs, make every effort to tackle key core technologies, speed up the upgrading and application of AI industry, and constantly enhance the city's energy level and core competency. Shanghai will participate in international cooperation and competition to better serve China’s overall development. Mr. Wu also pointed out that the Committee of Strategic Advisory Experts is an important think tank for strategic research and decision-making consultation of AI development in Shanghai. He hoped that experts would focus on accelerating the development of AI in Shanghai and 2019 World AI Congress, grasp key points and put forward more solutions to problems.
Chen Mingbo, Deputy Secretary of CPC Shanghai Municipal Working Committee of Economy and Informatization, reported on relevant work. Shanghai AI started in an all-round way in 2018, enterprise clusters grew rapidly, technological innovation accelerated the deployment, intelligent application was promoted, innovative ecology gradually was improved, and international high-end exchange platforms continued to emerge. In 2019, Shanghai will further implement the layout of national AI planning and give full play to the "head goose effect" of AI. What's more, Shanghai will also accelerate the development and upgrading of AI industry, enhance the innovation ability of AI, promote the application of AI, build a healthy development ecology of AI, and strive to build Shanghai Highland of AI.
Xu Kuangdi introduced the development of artificial intelligence algorithms, computational basis and the trend of artificial intelligence in various countries. He also referred to the existing literature and data to introduce the current technology development level in various sub-fields, as well as the distribution of enterprises and applications. Mr. Xu pointed out that China is now ranking second in the world of AI, just behind the United States. Shanghai has good conditions for development. It is important to further seize the strategic opportunities, consolidate the industrial foundation and accelerate the development of artificial intelligence.
At the meeting, experts exchanged views on the trend of AI and put forward suggestions on accelerating the development of AI in Shanghai in the next steps. Relevant experts pointed out that for the development of AI in Shanghai, it is necessary to build a strategic layout of "one body with two wings". On one hand, it is important to focus on scientific and technological innovations, build a number of science and technology innovation centers and public platforms, and foster AI talents and startups as the engine. On the other hand, it is advisable to promote AI to further enable production and life. In application, a batch of demonstration highlands should be built around the construction of smart city and the transformation and upgrading of manufacturing industry, the popularization of 5G technology application should be expanded, and the combination of artificial intelligence and Internet of Things should be promoted. In personnel training, it is a must to encourage colleges and universities to build artificial intelligence colleges and disciplines and cultivate a number of top talents in artificial intelligence. In international exchanges and cooperation, the World Artificial Intelligence Congress 2019 should be held at a higher level, and efforts should be made to host a series of high-level international academic conferences to gather world wisdom and improve the image of Shanghai.
Comrades from relevant units were present, including Shanghai Municipal Development & Reform Commission, Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Informatization, Shanghai Municipal Education Commission, Shanghai Science and Technology Committee (STCSM), Shanghai Municipal Finance Bureau and Shanghai Municipal Human Resource and Social Security Bureau.
