Xiaomi, Microsoft plan AI cooperation

Xiaomi Corp inked a deal with Microsoft Corp on Friday to deepen cooperation in artificial intelligence, cloud computing and laptops, as part of the Chinese smartphone vendor's going-global efforts this year.

The move came after Xiaomi turned in a stellar performance in overseas markets in 2017 and is an extension of the close ties between the two tech heavyweights in patents, technology as well as products.

Under the new memorandum of understanding, Microsoft will leverage its prowess in AI and cloud services to combine with Xiaomi's strength in smart devices, to create better products and help the latter in its global efforts.