Economic Watch: AI speeds up industrial revolution in China

HARBIN, Aug. 27 (Xinhua) — In the scorching summer heat, a green weeding machine is advancing steadily along rows of corn at a farm of the Beidahuang Group in northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, without a single operator in sight.
“This intelligent weeding machine has been developed by our team using artificial intelligence (AI) technology, and relies on AI models and edge intelligence decision-making techniques to accurately differentiate between corn plants and weeds,” said Cheng Siyao, vice dean of the School of Computer Science and Technology at Harbin Institute of Technology.
Cheng added that this machine can significantly improve the efficiency of weeding operations as its identification accuracy reaches over 95 percent. She also revealed that this new technology can be widely applied in vast stretches of farmland.
From the Go champion defeater of DeepMind and AlphaGo to the mighty ChatGPT, AI technology has brought about tremendous changes to China and many other countries in the world.
On farms, in factories and cyberspace, AI technology and algorithms have become efficiency multipliers and new engines of development across many sectors in China.
At the factories of Harbin Electric Corporation, an AI-powered intelligent welding system has been implemented for welding nuclear power equipment.
“The intelligent welding system can automatically detect the inner diameter, appearance and defects of weld seams, adjusting the welding method as needed,” said Liu Xinxin, deputy general manager of the innovation and digitalization department at the corporation.
“The system can also record and improve its performance via AI models, reducing human labor by 50 to 75 percent, doubling the efficiency while maintaining the same welding standard,” Liu added.
While empowering traditional industries, AI is also creating brand-new application scenarios, driving the rapid growth of emerging industries.
“With our expertise in the Internet of Things, big data processing and other technologies, we launched an AI imaging-assisted diagnosis platform to help more patients access better healthcare services close to home,” said Wang Yunan with BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd. at a forum of the just-concluded 2024 Sun Island Annual Conference for Entrepreneurs.
Wang explained that this platform, which integrates smart medical devices, telemedicine platforms and health management systems to optimize the allocation of medical resources, was recognized as one of the top 10 AI achievements showcased at the forum.
At a round table meeting on AI at the forum, Li Jiaqi, an AI expert at iFLYTEK Co., Ltd., introduced the company’s innovative AI-powered laptop products.
“This notebook fully integrates our self-developed Spark AI model, enabling various functions such as generating meeting minutes, organizing documents, refining text and providing real-time translation, offering users a new and convenient office experience,” he said.
Li noted that devices upgraded with generative AI, like the laptop, have become revolutionary products in achieving personalized AI experiences.
He said iFLYTEK is also developing innovative service products across multiple sectors including education, finance and automobiles — based on the same AI model.
Current waves of technological revolution and industrial transformation are highlighted by intensive innovations in the AI industry, said Gong Ke, executive director of the Chinese Institute of New Generation Artificial Intelligence Development Strategies.
According to China’s New Generation Artificial Intelligence Technology Industry Development Report 2024, AI technology is widely applied across many fields, such as smart cities, intelligent manufacturing and smart agriculture.
China’s AI industry boasts a massive market scale and a strong talent foundation, which can support the comprehensive transformation of its industrial economy, said Li Xiaodong, vice chairman of the Internet Society of China and founder of the Fuxi Institution think tank.
“We should establish more data interoperability mechanisms within and across industries, and support the development of common AI technology for applications in more scenarios,” he said. ■