China's artificial intelligence (AI) landscape is experiencing a surprising shift, with a leading AI talent leaving tech giant Alibaba to pursue his own venture.
The country is still behind the US when it comes to AI advancement, but its ambitious climb to the top is evident with the emergence of AI startups that fuel this campaign.
Alibaba Loses Top AI Engineer Zhou Chang
Algorithm engineer Zhou Chang, a key figure behind Alibaba's Tongyi Qianwen large language models (LLMs), is set to depart the company's cloud computing unit after seven years.
LLMs are the foundation for cutting-edge generative AI services like ChatGPT. Zhou played a pivotal role in their development, joining Alibaba in 2017 after graduating with a PhD in computer software and theories from Peking University. He also contributed significantly to the multimodal AI model M6 released in 2021.
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China's 'AI Tigers' Lure Top Talent
Zhou's departure coincides with China's booming AI startup scene, often referred to as the rise of the "AI tigers," as The South China Morning Post reports. These startups, including Baichuan, Zhipu AI, Moonshot AI, and MiniMax, have attracted significant investments, each raising billions of dollars. This flourishing ecosystem is proving to be a magnet for top AI talent seeking new challenges and potentially lucrative opportunities.
Alibaba Both Loses and Gains in the AI Race
While Alibaba laments the loss of an AI specialist like Zhou, the company remains actively involved in China's AI future. Alibaba has emerged as a leading investor in the very "AI tiger" startups attracting top talent away.
The company has backed all four major players: Baichuan, Moonshot AI, Zhipu AI, and MiniMax. This dual approach - nurturing in-house talent while investing in the broader ecosystem - highlights the complex and dynamic nature of China's AI race.
Beyond Alibaba: Talent Exodus Across Tech Giants
The trend of AI specialists leaving established companies extends beyond Alibaba. ByteDance, the owner of social media giants TikTok and Douyin, has also witnessed the departure of key AI personnel.
Yang Hongxia, previously involved in LLM research at ByteDance, recently left to pursue her own AI endeavors. Similarly, Kuaishou Technology, a rival of ByteDance, saw its LLM project leader Fu Ruiji depart to embark on his own AI startup venture.
Booming AI Industry in the East
These departures signify a significant moment for China's AI landscape. The exodus of top talent from established players coupled with the rise of well-funded startups indicates a growing focus on innovation and competition within the field.
Alibaba proves that it can even use AI to draw shoppers, The Wall Street Journal writes in another report. The e-commerce giant plans to expand this overseas.
As China strives for global leadership in AI, this talent shift is likely to ignite the development of groundbreaking new technologies and applications in the years to come.
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