Shanghai unveils AI development master plan as power crisis

Shanghai, the financial and commercial hub of China, has drawn up a new programme to advance the development of its artificial intelligence (AI) industry, as a power crisis and Covid-19-related disruptions threaten to hamper economic recovery efforts in the metropolis.

The city’s draft AI plan was released on Tuesday by the General Office of the Standing Committee of the Shanghai Municipal People’s Congress, which will solicit public opinion until September 13. It outlines various measures to help drive the industry’s development, including providing financial support, fostering entrepreneurs and start-ups, sharpening focus on certain market segments and building up the sector’s supply chain.

“After years of development, the city’s artificial intelligence industry has maintained a growth trend as a whole,” the local legislature said in a statement before the draft plan’s release. It indicated, however, that the industry must overcome certain issues, “such as insufficient independent innovation capability, difficult implementation of [AI application] scenarios and insufficient governance systems”.

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