World Intelligence Congress shows latest life-changing technologies

The second World Intelligence Congress (WIC) in north China's Tianjin Municipality shows the latest hi-tech and innovation results that have revolutionized the trade and commerce industries, transport, medical care and other areas of people's daily lives.

Robots are dancing to the music at the World Exhibition of Intelligent Technology on May 16, 2018. [Photo: China Plus/Guo Jing]

The event has attracted thousands of well-known entrepreneurs, hi-tech companies, experts and scholars to share their AI research results in Tianjin, the cradle of China's modern industry and a notable coastal city in north China.

It is focusing on changes and opportunities brought by AI technologies and how they can be best utilized to shape a sustainable world. Cutting-edge technologies, as well as investment and financing opportunities in the intelligent industries, will also be presented.

Wan Gang, Chairman of China Association for Science and Technology, said at the opening ceremony that AI was a strategic technology that would play a leading role in future development. He added that as the core driving force of industrial revolution, it would promote the emergence of new technologies, products, industries and economic growth patterns.

Liu Qiangdong, CEO of e-commerce giant JD.com, said he was focusing on intelligent logistics. JD.com has spent several years developing drones and robots to deliver parcels, said Liu at the plenary of the WIC. Drones can save costs and time to send parcels to those living in remote areas and transport agricultural products to cities more timely, while robots can save human couriers from heavy work load, bad weather and safety risks; in the future, one human courier can supervise 100 robotic couriers in the office to ensure there is no failure in operation, said Liu.

Looking forward to the next 20 years, Zhou Ji, President of Chinese Academy of Engineering, said that by 2025, smart manufacturing must be widely used nationally and by 2035, intelligent manufacturing should be a leading force in manufacturing industries.

The three-day congress includes three plenary meetings, 18 parallel forums, an intelligence exhibition and competitions for unmanned vehicles and drones.