China has vowed to boost the development of its artificial intelligence sector but it is facing a shortage of software engineers in the country.
The latest illustration: Microsoft Research Asia (MSRA) has recently launched a “Vancouver Plan” to relocate a number of top AI specialists from Beijing to its new laboratory in Vancouver, the Financial Times reported on Saturday, citing sources familiar with the plan. The report said the plan was launched due to heightened political tensions between the US and China.
Chinese state media and some commentators say the relocation of MSRA specialists shows that a global AI race is heating up – a trend that will push China to nurture more AI experts.
After all, no one thinks there are enough of them – and that’s the basic handicap slowing Chinese progress. Elon Musk says China is only 12 months behind the US in artificial intelligence but other experts are more pessimistic.
Touchy subject
Following the publication of the original FT story, Microsoft told the newspaper that it has nothing called a “Vancouver Plan” but is establishing a new lab in Vancouver, which will be staffed with people from other MSR labs around the world, including China.