Technology
China’s Zhipu AI ramps up push towards human-level AI, reiterates open source pledge
Chinese AI start-up Zhipu AI said it would step up efforts next year in the pursuit of artificial general intelligence (AGI) while continuing to open source its AI models after its initial public offering.
In 2026 “we’re going to contribute more substantially to the AGI journey,” Zheng Qinkai, a researcher at the company, which markets itself internationally as Z.ai, said in an Ask Me Anything (AMA) session hosted on US social media site Reddit.
AGI, referring to technology that matches human...
Chinese EV battery giant CATL and Guoxin Micro set up new automotive chip firm
Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL), the world’s largest maker of electric vehicle batteries, has partnered with semiconductor developer Unigroup Guoxin Microelectronics to form a new automotive chip firm in Beijing.
CATL-owned Wending Investment, Guoxin Micro subsidiary Tongxin Micro and five affiliates have agreed to establish Tongxin Micro Technology with a registered capital of 300 million yuan (US$43 million), according to a Thursday filing to the Shenzhen Stock Exchange.
With its 153...
China’s stance on TikTok deal ‘not a green light with no strings attached’, analysts say
The Chinese commerce ministry’s latest remarks on the TikTok deal in the US signalled acceptance rather than approval, as Beijing “hopes” the arrangement will comply with Chinese laws and strike a balance between rival interests, analysts say.
The Chinese Ministry of Commerce, which oversees trade and export controls, declared its position a week after TikTok announced the formation of a joint venture, controlled by a consortium of American investors, that would take over its operations in the...
Tech giants go prime time in the fight for China’s biggest audience
China’s biggest tech companies and a clutch of fast-rising consumer electronics brands are battling for coveted sponsorship slots at the Spring Festival Gala, as intensifying competition in artificial intelligence turns the country’s most watched television broadcast into a rare nationwide marketing battleground.
Major players including ByteDance, Tencent Holdings and Alibaba Group Holding had all held discussions with state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) over high-stakes...
Xiaomi’s 17 Ultra, backed by Leica, challenges Apple’s iPhone Pro Max in mobile imaging
Xiaomi on Thursday unveiled the 17 Ultra, its latest premium smartphone model that features improved night photography and mobile imaging capabilities on the back of the firm’s enhanced partnership with German camera maker Leica.
“We work together to build future-proof optical technology … and completely reshape the mobile photography experience,” Xiaomi president Lu Weibing said at the handset’s launch.
In a side-by-side comparison of dimly lit photos taken in Hong Kong with Xiaomi’s 17 Ultra...
Chinese AI champion iFlytek sets up new entity to expand into semiconductor design
US-blacklisted company iFlytek has set up a new corporate entity to expand into semiconductors and other artificial intelligence-related fields as part of efforts to bolster China’s broader tech self-sufficiency initiatives.
The new entity, Shandong Yixun Information Technology, was incorporated last week with a registered capital of 50 million yuan (US$7.1 million), according to the latest information from Chinese corporate data provider Qichacha.
The scope of this entity’s operations would...
AI-for-Science start-up DP Technology raises US$114 million in Series C round
DP Technology – the developer of a suite of AI tools used by researchers for work spanning drug design to battery development – has raised more than 800 million yuan (US$114 million) in Series C financing to expand research and development (R&D) and hire talent.
The Beijing-based AI-for-Science (AI4S) start-up said on Wednesday that the round drew backing from a mix of state-linked and venture investors, including Fortune Venture Capital, Beijing Jingguorui Equity Investment Fund, Beijing...