Firms chip away at weak points in AI

Amid tech protectionism, Chinese companies beef up expertise in semiconductors

On a hot summer afternoon in July, Tsinghua University in Beijing glimpsed a sneak preview of the future of artificial intelligence and its implications for technology and businesses in China.

An autonomous bicycle steered itself along the main playground on the university campus. It automatically avoided obstacles, tracked objects and responded to voice commands. At the bike's core was a newly developed chip called Tianjic.