AI Technology & Industry Review
Over the past year Chinese startups and tech giants alike have developed their own voice technology ecosystems comprising product manufacturers, tech solution providers, content makers, and platforms designed to help hardware or skill applications “speak and be smarter.” In this article, we look at the current state of open voice platforms in China.
A phrase that’s cropping up a lot in Chinese media these days is “National AI Team (人工智能国家队).” While this may suggest a squad of scientists heading off to some sort of AI Olympics, it rather refers to a new class of AI companies that are either backed by national institutes or closely integrated into government-funded programs.
The staffless Amazon Go opens to the public in downtown Seattle. Just like a normal convenience store, this intelligent store sells pre-cooked food, snacks, drinks , etc. — but there’s no cashier scanning the goods.
CES exhibitors promoted everything from AI-powered vehicles to smart refrigerators and robot puppies. But the tech driving these diverse products was the same: the virtual assistant, a conversational AI that can understand human speech and generate humanlike responses.
The lack of Mandarin interface in Echo and Google Home has prompted a number of Chinese companies to get in the game with their own smart speakers.
Human-machine interaction is rapidly evolving. Today, 12% of Chinese users opt for voice input over typing. What does this signal for tomorrow?