China should boost basic research in AI

The Government Work Report that Premier Li Keqiang delivered to the national legislature on March 5 emphasized that artificial intelligence (AI) technology be strengthened in emerging industries to improve the core competitiveness of the sector and improve the science and technology industries.

Since 2006, a group of scholars, represented by Geoffrey Hinton, a cognitive psychologist and computer scientist, has optimized neural network models, with the focus on AI and characterized by deep learning technology, inspiring a new wave of developments in the science and technology sectors.

Countries work out AI strategies based on their own national situations to deal with future scientific and technological competition. For example, Canada issued the Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy in 2017, which focuses on basic theoretical research and a pool of talents to strengthen its international reputation as a cultivator of AI talents.