The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has issued a three-year action plan (together with related guidance) to stimulate the development of AI in China. The plan sets specific targets for eight priority areas:
- Autonomous driving smart cars
- Robotics
- Drones
- Medical imaging aided diagnosis systems
- Facial recognition systems
- Intelligent voice interactive systems (including speech recognition technology)
- Intelligent translation systems
- Smart home products such as smart lighting/TVs
This adds further detail and sets more concrete implementation targets in line with the long term goals elaborated in the 'Plan on Developing New Generation AI' issued by the State Council in July last year (see earlier post) and the country's 'Made in China 2025' strategy.
The plan also prioritises progress in core infrastructure systems focusing on intelligent sensing, neural network chips and open-source platforms. The application of AI technology in the field of manufacturing is also identified as a priority.
To support the achievement of these targets, the MIIT has proposed, among other things, that the government will promote greater cooperation between companies and trade organisations, encourage local sources of finance to increase their investments in related fields, adopt specific measures to cultivate personnel talent, encourage international cooperation, and do further research on policies and regulations in this field.
