Today, we are witnessing a significant shift in the AI landscape, as Beijing launches a cutting-edge AI public computing platform to meet the growing demands of AI enterprises. This platform, located in Yizhuang, Daxing district, is the largest of its kind in the city, offering a staggering 3,000 petaflops of computing power to support the research, development, and application of large-scale AI models.
The Pursuit of Domestic AI Alternatives
As the AI arms race intensifies globally, China recognizes the crucial importance of developing domestic alternatives to OpenAI’s ChatGPT. This new platform aims to empower Beijing-based AI start-ups by enabling them to train their large language models (LLMs) efficiently and effectively. By providing access to substantial computing resources, Beijing is fostering an environment conducive to innovation and the creation of homegrown AI solutions.
The Data Conundrum: Quality over Quantity
However, as the demand for AI computing power soars, a critical challenge emerges: the potential exhaustion of high-quality data by 2026, according to predictions by Epoch, an AI research institute. Liu Gang, chief economist at the Chinese Institute of New Generation AI Development Strategies, emphasizes the significance of high-quality data as the core element for AI development.
China’s advantage lies in its vast manufacturing industry, which generates massive datasets – a valuable resource for training LLMs and enhancing AI-related products. Liu Gang notes, “China has a strong manufacturing industry, with huge datasets from these enterprises. This is one of our biggest advantages and also the most critical issue for our future industrial competitiveness.”
Nationwide Efforts to Bolster Computing Power
Recognizing the pivotal role of computing power in AI development, regions across China are accelerating the growth of the computing power industry. For instance, Shenzhen, a technology hub in Guangdong Province, has approved an action plan to accelerate the high-quality development of AI, including the construction of urban-level intelligent computing power platforms.
On a national level, China deployed the “Artificial Intelligence for Science” project in March 2023, aimed at promoting the use of AI in cutting-edge research. This initiative seeks to foster innovation in AI models and algorithms, develop platforms for various research fields, and establish a national open innovation platform for the next generation of AI public computing power.
The AI Revolution: Driving Force for Technological and Industrial Progress
As Yu Xiaohui, head of the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, aptly states, “AI has become an important driving force of the new round of technological and industrial revolution.” While China ranks second globally in terms of computing power scale, challenges such as regional disparities and supply-demand mismatches persist.
By addressing these challenges and investing in AI computing power infrastructure, China is positioning itself at the forefront of the AI revolution, leveraging its strengths in data and manufacturing to propel innovation and foster a thriving AI ecosystem.