China has recently marked a significant milestone in artificial intelligence (AI) development by approving more than 40 AI models for public use. This milestone, taking place within six months of initiating a new approval process, is a reminder of China’s commitment to advancing in the global AI race. And this race is heating up fast.

Companies like Xiaomi Corp and 01.AI are amongst the most recent ones

The recent approvals include 14 large language models (LLMs), with well-known companies like Xiaomi Corp and 01.AI among the recipients. This is the fourth round of approvals, indicating a swift and focused adoption of AI technologies in the country.

Artificial Intelligence

The process began in August last year, when Beijing required tech companies to get regulatory approval for public use of their LLMs. This requirement was a strategic move, aiming to foster AI growth while ensuring it remains within the government’s regulatory framework.

Approvals have been issued in several batches since the policy’s implementation. The first batch, including AI models from major firms such as Baidu, Alibaba, and ByteDance, was granted soon after the policy introduction. Further approvals were given in November and December, with the latest batch cleared this month.

The exact list of all approved AI models is not publicly available. However, the brisk pace of approvals reflects the keen interest and effort by Chinese firms in the field of AI. This surge in AI development was partly motivated by the international success of OpenAI‘s ChatGPT in 2022. At that point, China had 40% of the world’s 130 LLMs, just behind the United States with 50%.

A highlight in China’s AI journey is Baidu‘s Ernie Bot, similar to ChatGPT, which has amassed over 100 million users. This example shows the significant potential and growing enthusiasm for AI in China.

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