China's Rapid Advancement in Artificial Intelligence
China is making significant progress in artificial intelligence (AI), positioning itself as a global leader with over 4,500 AI companies, the second-highest in the world. Projections suggest that the country's AI industry will exceed 600 billion Yuan by 2024, marking a new era of growth. China is excelling in various sector-specific applications, including manufacturing, healthcare, finance, and transportation, which enhance efficiency and service quality.
In particular, AI is transforming automated driving, offering innovative driving experiences. In healthcare, AI robots assist surgeons, bolstering both operational efficiency and precision.
The recent Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Shanghai attracted leaders from the telecommunications industry to showcase the latest innovations. ZTE Corporation, a leading provider of integrated communication solutions, presented new generations of intelligent computing that propel AI advancements.
ZTE's initiatives in AI focus on enhancing computing power and developing tailored solutions. The company launched AI servers for small to medium model training and inference, as well as servers optimized for large model training. Additionally, ZTE has introduced the "Nebula" large model, utilizing domain knowledge for incremental pre-training to create industry-specific AI solutions that facilitate digital transformation.
ZTE's intelligent computing solutions incorporate breakthroughs in computing power, networking, and applications. The company has built a robust infrastructure that includes a vast array of servers, high-performance storage, lossless networking, and eco-friendly data centers. Their open intelligent computing hardware accommodates multiple CPU and GPU models, allowing for flexible upgrades without the need for extensive hardware changes.
Collaborating with Chinese AI chip manufacturers, ZTE optimizes end-to-end performance for its offerings, ensuring maximum hardware efficiency. The self-developed Dinghai chip supports various formats including RDMA smart network cards and DPU cards, delivering robust performance across different computing needs.
ZTE's Nebula intelligent computing network solution integrates pioneering technologies like ENCC congestion control and IGLB intelligent load balancing to secure high-speed connections. Furthermore, ZTE provides comprehensive lifecycle services for data centers—from consulting to integration—and incorporates low-carbon technologies, achieving cooling efficiencies with a PUE as low as 1.1. Their immersion cooling server, IceTank, manages over 2000W cooling per node, providing ease of maintenance and high efficiency.
Focusing on innovative applications, ZTE has implemented robotic systems, digital twins, and AI technologies in smart factory prototypes, evolving from digitalization to autonomous operations that enhance product quality while minimizing costs.
China’s AI adoption rate across various industries has reached 28%, yielding considerable value in sectors such as media, finance, digital retail, smart healthcare, and intelligent manufacturing. The nation has established 421 national-level demonstration factories and over 10,000 provincial-level intelligent workshops, leading the way in smart manufacturing.
ZTE is dedicated to advancing AI adoption, effectively leveraging its Nebula large model across applications including research and development (R&D), operational efficiency, and urban management. For instance, in R&D, the Nebula model has enhanced coding efficiency by 30%. In operations, it has increased efficiency at the Nanjing Binjiang Intelligent Manufacturing Base, cutting product repair times by 30% and reducing production scheduling time by 88%. Additionally, Nebula’s models are utilized for risk detection in urban management, addressing issues such as gas leaks and flooding to ensure public safety.
As the AI industry embarks on a robust growth trajectory, rapid technological advancements and application developments are propelling forward. With continuous innovation from tech companies, China's AI+ industry transformation is set to accelerate, solidifying its status as a global leader in artificial intelligence.
Ranking
