Shanghai: Huawei has launched its expansive artificial intelligence (AI) strategy, hoping it helps city life interact like "a human's nervous system" and the technology can change all industries and organisations around the world.
The company wants to become a global leader in AI, using the technology in all parts of human activity.
Under the concept of "All Scenario AI Portfolio", Huawei is working to enhance the efficiency of public clouds, private clouds, edge computing, Internet of Things devices and consumer devices, making them all smarter and more widely used in all industrial sectors.
The China-based company recently launched the Ascend AI AP and chip series, which it claims is the world's first to provide optimal TeraOPS per watt. The Ascend series delivers high performance with minimum energy consumption and maximum computing power for data centres.
The Ascend 910 and Ascend 310 chips mark Huawei's leading AI capabilities at the chip level -- the bottom layer of the stack, said the company. They will help greatly accelerate AI adoption in all industries.
Huawei rotating chairman Eric Xu said the company's AI technology will create significant changes in all industries, enterprises and services. Emerging businesses will appear and disappear as a result of the technology, which is a normal phenomenon, he said.
Chip development is the base infrastructure to improve AI technology, said Mr Xu.
"We need to make full use of AI technology," he said. "We need to start reaping the benefits sooner rather than later, and work hard to expand its value. We have to do what we can to extend this harvest season."
"Let's plant AI along the equator, so to speak, creating an environment where it can continue to blossom and thrive."
Mr Xu was delivering his remarks at the launch of Huawei's new line of chips.
The company organised the third annual Huawei Connect, a global event for the ICT industry, at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Centre, joined by thousands participants and its partners. The theme of the three-day event was Activated Intelligence, which focuses on AI's challenges, opportunities, innovation and practices.
He said the company sees great AI business opportunities because of the gap between achievements and lukewarm adoption.
Huawei calculated AI-related mergers and acquisitions totalled US$24 billion in 2017 and more than 22 countries have announced a national AI plan, with 1,100 AI startups last year.
However, the supply and demand ratio of AI talent worldwide is just 1%, while only 4% of enterprises invest in AI, only 2% of retailers invest in AI and only 5% of smart cities invest in the technology.
The company has focused AI investment efforts in three main industries: transport, hospitality and finance.
In 2017, Huawei launched a pilot project called Traffic Brain in Shenzhen, which helped improve traffic management in the city by 80% by providing more efficient traffic flow, integrating the city's traffic lights into an AI system. This project saved every driver at least 10 minutes on average.
The company forecast AI traffic control will come into wide-scale use on city streets in the next five years. The global traffic management system market is expected to record average annual growth of 18.2% a year over the next decade, based on market research from FMI.
Huawei said the global AI market for healthcare will surpass $10 billion by 2024. A survey on the Chinese healthcare industry found 20% of respondents intend to adopt smart nursing technologies.
For the financial sector, the company said by 2030, traditional financial organisations could reduce their costs by 22% through AI technology.
One Chinese insurer is already able to analyse and settle accident claims in only a minute using this technology, said Huawei.
William Xu, board director and chief strategic marketing officer of Huawei, said to achieve its partnership goals, the company created an ecosystem partner platform, which is more important than managing Huawei's own business growth.
He said by working together with the ecosystem, partners can leverage their respective strengths to deliver value to customers.
The company has a plan to support 1 million AI developers and partners over the next three years, said the marketing officer.
Huawei also announced its cooperation with Audi to develop intelligent connected vehicles, with the new Audi Q7 as a demonstration of this state-of-the-art technology.
Industry consultant HIS Markit forecast more than two-thirds of passenger vehicles sold will exchange data with external sources in just over eight years.
By 2023, global sales of connected cars will reach 72.5 million units, up from 24 million in 2015, said HIS Markit.
Regarding the AI industry, the consultancy forecast by 2025, the global AI market is expected to reach $380 billion, 90% of which will come from the enterprise market.
