Robots dance at the artificial intelligence (AI) experience zone of the fifth China International Import Expo (CIIE) on November 6, 2022. It is the first time for the CIIE to feature an AI zone, which has a 300-square meter exhibition area and seven application scenarios. Photo: VCG

China Mobile Communications Association (CMCA), along with other industry players including China's telecom giants, have jointly established a GPT Industry Alliance in Beijing on Tuesday, according to a report.

The alliance aims to explore the essence and emerging mechanism of intelligence, incubate a more "inclusive, secure, and self-developed universal artificial intelligence (AI) in China," the Shanghai Securities News reported on Tuesday.

As the only national social organization in the field of Chinese mobile communications industry, CMCA's members include state-owned industry conglomerates such as China Mobile and China Unicom.

The competition among AI large language models has entered a critical moment. ChatGPT has not sparked a crisis, but a significant opportunity for the iterative development of the industry in China, Ni Jianzhong, executive president of the CMCA, said at the alliance's inauguration ceremony.

"We have to accept the challenge of AI, gain the initiative of the digital intelligence era, and make China the world's innovation center in the global 'intelligence' game," Ni said.

According to the report, the alliance will build "a solid bridge between the government, academia and industry, giving birth to China's independent universal AI."

Moreover, the alliance will strive to explore the mechanism and engineering path of intelligent emergence, discover original innovation opportunities in the era of AI, invent a technological architecture that supports the emergence and circulation of intelligent business value and is committed to transforming the power of AI into a powerful digital force that benefits humanity, the report said.

On April 11, China's cyberspace authority issued a regulation draft for AI, voicing clear support for innovation, promotion and application in AI algorithms and frameworks. The regulation, which is open for public comment until May 10, is seen as a booster for the booming AI sector in China amid a global race to launch services similar to ChatGPT.

So far, major Chinese technology companies including Alibaba, Tencent and Baidu, have all announced the launch or plans in releasing ChatGPT-like chatbots, and are mulling plans to integrate these services into consumer applications. 

Global Times