WIC forum in SAR to focus on AI application

The World Internet Conference Asia-Pacific Summit will take place in Hong Kong from April 14 to 15, with the application of artificial intelligence as a key focus, organizers said on Monday at a news conference in Beijing.

It will mark the first time that a high-level WIC forum is held outside of the Chinese mainland. The event will bring together participants from governments, businesses and academia worldwide. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government is also serving as a co-organizer.

Ren Xianliang, secretary-general of the WIC, said the summit's subforum topics include large AI models, digital finance, digital governance and smart technology for daily life.

"During the Chinese New Year holiday, Chinese tech startup Deep-Seek launched a large model, which has reshaped global perceptions of AI and pushed the development of large models to the brink of industrial transformation," Ren said.

The summit will focus on topics such as the generalization and specialization of large AI models, opensource ecosystem development and high-performance computing chips. Business executives and academic experts will discuss new strategies for the high-level development and application of large AI models, Ren said.

Another key focus of the summit will be the use of cutting-edge digital technology to improve urban governance, he said.

"Technologies such as 5G, big data and AI are rapidly integrating into everyday life, including transportation, healthcare, elderly care and cultural tourism, bringing unprecedented innovation to public life," he said.

However, Ren noted that while digital technology is widely used, significant discrepancies exist in the depth of application and level of coordination across different fields, with many pressing issues still needing resolution.

Government representatives, business leaders and experts from various countries will exchange practical cases and solutions for enhancing governance and urban-rural life through digital technology, according to the WIC.

Hong Kong, an international finance and tech hub, hopes to use the summit to promote broader global cooperation and advance AI development, said Sun Dong, secretary for innovation, technology and industry of the Hong Kong SAR government.

"Over the past few years, Hong Kong has made comprehensive plans for AI development and has now achieved a promising start. We hope to better serve the country in this regard," he said.

The SAR government aims to quickly build an AI development ecosystem in Hong Kong, Sun said. Last year, it allocated HK$3 billion ($386 million) to help startups, universities and research institutions access government-provided computing power facilities.

"Over the past two years, our Hong Kong Science Park and Cyberport have rapidly gathered more than 800 AI companies," Sun said. "Combined with the strong foundational research capabilities of five of the world's top 100 universities, Hong Kong's AI ecosystem is developing rapidly."

Sun also emphasized Hong Kong's investment in large AI models, noting that last year, the city urgently established a generative AI research center to develop its own language model.

"This year, we will officially promote and apply large models across society," he said. "The purpose of developing large models in Hong Kong is simple: we are based in Hong Kong, facing the world, and aim to serve 70 million overseas Chinese."

jiangchenglong@chinadaily.com.cn